stock performance at the track

[fasthonda]

hi!

the original question was basically "how does a 'supercar' in stock configuration compare to a late model Porsche with a bunch of tricks?".  well, i can add some data to the question at hand!

#1.  i've seen a totally bone stock GT-R (stock tires, stock brakepads, stock everything with only 800 miles on it) doing consistent low 1:22's at summit (with a 1:21.7 thrown in there).  he was doing a time trial, and he had a transponder in the car.  the driver is highly skilled (i race against him in PTE;  he drives a Nissan Sentra SE-R usually!).  he told me he was driving it at 99%;  was trying quite hard!  he had purchased the car just before the event (traded his 997 Carrera S on it!).

#2.  i instruct for a twice yearly event called the 'Colonial Challenge Cup', which takes place at summit point.  the event benefits the inner city youth of baltimore/washington.  lots and lots and lots of 'exotic' machinery shows up, and we instruct the drivers.  many of the drivers are very green, too.  the last two times, i've had the owner of several Ford GTs as a student (he always brings the same one to the track, though.  its a silver one with blue stripes).  anyway, during lunch, for about an hour and a half, they have 'charity rides'.  this is where you make a donation and you can go for a ride in the hyper exotic of your choice.....   there is usually a really long line, and the cars go around nonstop.  the last two times, i was invited to drive the Ford GT, and ferry passengers around, and show them 'what its like to go fast in an exotic car'.  oh, some of the other cars that were in line were (you are going to have to forgive my spelling on some of these!):  Lamboghini Gallardo Superleggeria, Ferrari F430 Stradale, Morgan Aero 8, Aston Vantage V12, Vette Z06, Ariel Atom, 911 GT2, 911 GT3, BMW M5 and M3, Viper ACR, and a bunch more that i'm probably forgetting.  my instructions were to make sure that the passengers had fun, and not to hurt the car!  so, i ran the car 'pretty' hard;  i can't afford to replace anything on it, so i didn't run it at 100%, as i do with my honda and probe.  i drove it like i drove george's 997 GT3 (thanks again george!);  i kept a little in reserve for 'just in case' scenarios....   most of the cars were being driven either by instructors (or the car's owners, if they were advanced drivers).  the lambos and ferraris had been brought up by ferrari/lamborghini of washington (i think they brought 3 or 4 cars).  they had also brought their own drivers (the driver of the stradale was a supposed 'hot shoe'.  btw, all the ferraris and lamboghinis (and my Ford GT) were bone bone stock.   stock tires, stock brake pads, stock alignments, stock stock stock.  the ferraris and the lambo were sporting price stickers on the windows, and they were for sale that day!  ha ha!   so, we all went out on the track -- every 3 laps we came in and picked up another passenger.  the gallardo, the stradale, and i were the fastest by a large margin;  the gallardo was a little bit slower than the ferrari and i (but i think this might just have been the driver).  the ferrari and i were nose-to-tail, with me right behind him, for many laps.  we came in and got new riders, and went back out, and did it lap after lap!  we were turning 1:22s and 1:23s very consistently (hand timed).  i'm SURE that without a passenger and if i used 100% of the car i could have gone 1:20.xxx.  the Ford GT was super easy to drive fast;  no 'nannies' except for ABS.  immense torque and power, and neutral handling (a little too much understeer for my taste, actually).  amazing brakes, too, for stock pads!   the tires sucked (goodyear something or other run flats).   in an hour and a half, i used up over a tank and a half of gas (almost two tanks), and i ran the rear tires down from brand new to almost bald.  the fronts were only worn about 25%.  the brake pads were pretty used up, too (wheels were black, and there was alot of black dust on the sides of the car).  the car would EASILY hit 165 mph on the front straight, and i was braking before the first of the braking cones (no way i was gonna risk going off into the gravel pit!!!!).  the comparison between the ferrari and me was a good one;  we were exactly the same laptime;  but i think i could have gone faster in the ferrari than in the GT.  the ferrari outbraked me everywhere, and was better in the carousel.  i was better in T1/T2 and the 'fast' turns.  and the ferrari was able to crack off shifts so fast that it was incredible;  i was super 'granny shifting' the ford GT, and the ferrari would leap ahead every shift i made.

anyway, it is pretty easy to see that a totally stock 'super car' with no mods whatsoever can run pretty far up in the Red/Black group.   now, throw on a set of R comps and some racing brake pads?  subtract about 2 or 3 seconds a lap!

but, big big big but here -- these are cars that the driver will really really really worry about hurting;  i mean, a simple off into the gravel might really really really damage one of those cars!   i feel so much more comfortable pushing my race honda civic to the max, than i was in the GT.  and my civic will turn a 1:20.xxx at summit quite easily....    food for thought, yes?

todd

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