Fastest round a track?

[Ferrari Tifosi]

Wow, those are some pretty crazy times, but obviously the fact of wet or dry makes those times not what they seem.

[Coventrysucks]

The Radical SR3 did the Top Gear lap in 1:15

On its first and only flying lap, the SR3 Turbo beat the Nurburgring Nordschleife record by 13 seconds. (7min 19s)

I think that the SR3 Turbo would be difficult to beat on most tracks, unless it was something like Avus, or an oval

SR3 Turbo stats:
4 cyl 1500cc
330bhp @ 9000rpm
220 lb ft @ 7000rpm
600bhp/ton
170mph (est)
0-60 3.1 (est)
£54,050

evo TCOTY 2004 Bedford Autodrome lap times
Ferrari 360 CS (didn't run due to noise restrictions)
Renault Clio 182 88.75s
Lotus Elise 111R 82.80s
Vauhall VXR220 82.05s (limited running due to noise restrictions)
Deronda F400 81.85s (prototype)
Lotus Exige S2 81.75s
Caterham R500 Evo 77.40s (set up for the Autocar 0-100-0 test, not corners)
Grinnall Scorpion IV 77.40s
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 76.80s
Noble M400 76.50s
Ariel Atom 275 75.30s
Radical SR4 71.55s
Jaguar JP1 Evo 67.30s (Cosworth fettled, bigger brakes, wider track)
Radical SR3 Turbo 65.70s

[sparkyburroughs]

The radical SR3 had road tyres and was in road trim. I know several cars that are preparing to break this in 2006

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

i personally like tsukuba, laguna seca, and suzuka

the top gear times to me are kinda wierd cuz there isnt really a marked boundary, in many episodes you can see the stig either plow out on the hammer head or go off the "track" on some of the less famous corners

i find it really hard to believe some of the lap times on that track though, like how an nsx r lost to an M3 CSL when the nsx r demolished it on motegi for example

[early93viper]

I agree with most of the posts here it would depend on a lot of things:

Driving style (A Miata will have a completely different line and driving style than a Viper)
Track Conditions (hell an STI might be able to be faster than an ENZO on a wet enough day)
Track (Hell just gearing of a car will make a huge difference from track to track)

I have tracked my Viper a lot and have seen how important the driver is to fast track times. Much more important than the car.

[early93viper]

Yeah I've seen a couple of episodes and have seen the track. I still think that the times are crazy. Unbelievable how handling can dominate over such accelerating differences.

Funny, I always here how handling is more important than acceleration. I am at the track a lot and just don't see it. Not saying it isn't a big consideration but HP and TQ mean A LOT at the track. Even when I go to the autocross track (very technical, very tight) you can see how HP and TQ play such a huge roll.

Obviously you need a mix of both. A high HP car with crappy handling isn't going to yield fast lap times. Just like an incredible handling low HP car isn't going to yield fast lap times.

With that said given the choice between a High HP mediocre handling car and an Incredible Handling Mediocre HP car on most roadcourses I would chouse the High HP car and most racers would agree.

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

Funny, I always here how handling is more important than acceleration. I am at the track a lot and just don't see it. Not saying it isn't a big consideration but HP and TQ mean A LOT at the track. Even when I go to the autocross track (very technical, very tight) you can see how HP and TQ play such a huge roll.

Obviously you need a mix of both. A high HP car with crappy handling isn't going to yield fast lap times. Just like an incredible handling low HP car isn't going to yield fast lap times.

With that said given the choice between a High HP mediocre handling car and an Incredible Handling Mediocre HP car on most roadcourses I would chouse the High HP car and most racers would agree.

thats because the limit of regular drivers are below that of the limits of most cars, when you throw good drivers into the mix it's different, then when you through REALLY good drivers into the mix it gets different again

any idiot can step on the gas but it takes a certain breed to be able to tackle the corner correctly, from finding the right braking point, getting to the apex and controlling the car during acceleration from there, it all sounds really easy but in practice it isnt

[2ndclasscitizen]

i personally like tsukuba, laguna seca, and suzuka

the top gear times to me are kinda wierd cuz there isnt really a marked boundary, in many episodes you can see the stig either plow out on the hammer head or go off the "track" on some of the less famous corners

i find it really hard to believe some of the lap times on that track though, like how an nsx r lost to an M3 CSL when the nsx r demolished it on motegi for example

The thing is, some wet times don't have it written down on their board, and early on, they used to spread water on a few of the corners. I think the CSL ran after they stopped that. I'm pretty sure the NSX-R was in the wet

[early93viper]

thats because the limit of regular drivers are below that of the limits of most cars, when you throw good drivers into the mix it's different, then when you through REALLY good drivers into the mix it gets different again

any idiot can step on the gas but it takes a certain breed to be able to tackle the corner correctly, from finding the right braking point, getting to the apex and controlling the car during acceleration from there, it all sounds really easy but in practice it isnt

True the limit of regular drivers are below that of most cars.

It is a lot easier to get a Miata, Elise, MR2 around a track than a Corvette, Viper, or TVR. Because of the slower pace, and more forgiving handling. Finesse is need to control higher HP cars and experience is the best teacher.

Any Idiot can just step on the gas but if you try to do that in a high HP car you will find yourself spinning in a corner. Throttle control is a big factor. One needs to feather the throttle threw a corner balancing out the car. Keeping it at the limits of adhesion without pushing it to snap oversteer.

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

yeah, that was kinda implied man

[MrKipling]

Nearly every racing driver I've spoken or interviewed to (and that's a lot - James Thompson, Jason Plato, Tim Sugden, Martin Rowe for example) all reckon throttle control is what really makes the difference between good and fantastic drivers.

Next time you watch the F1 listen to the difference between Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen's engines exitting slow corners, and you'll see (hear!) what I mean.

[Markie Boy]

Those top gear times are a little old the Zonda F is at the top with 1min 18.4 but clarkson says the veyron will get a better time if Bugatti let them put their car on their track.

[Markie Boy]

Does anyone have a Nordschlieffe best lap times list?

[Rockefella]

Next time you watch the F1 listen to the difference between Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen's engines exitting slow corners, and you'll see (hear!) what I mean.

Go on.. I haven't really noticed Webber's style compared to the Drunk Finn's.