Carrera GT record at Nurburgring falls

[ttweed]

Porsche's claim on the world's fastest production car was vaporized Nov. 24th on the Nordschleife when a puny little 1800cc LL7 (Looks Like a 7) car from Holland beat the Carrera GT's time by 15 seconds, according to this story on the VWVortex site.

It looks like Colin Chapman's trick of adding lightness trumped more power.

Donkervoort
270hp / 525kg

Carrera GT
605hp / 1,380kg

The Donkervoort has 4.27 lbs./hp
The Carrera GT has 5.02 lbs./hp

I can't believe the Carrera wasn't faster on the straights, with a better aero package and more HP, but the little LL7 must have more than made it up for it in the twisties. A 7:18 lap is pretty awesome for a street car.

TT

[MrKJBlue]

Carrera GT never held it not sure where Porsche marketing got it from.
The Radical sr3 Turbo did at 7m 19s in 2003

[mede8er]

Very Interesting......HP/Weight ratio is truly a factor...I'm curious how many cars must be produced to declare a 'production' automobile.......

[RickM]

This also came up in the OT forum....interesting.

Carrera GT's record already broken?

[JmuRiz]

That car isn't much of a 'street' car. I guess taking a street legal car and putting huge wings and stuff not on the typical roadcar makes is a streetcar eh?

[dickster]

anyone see top gear last night? a £20k low production car beat the CGT around the test track, and had a 2.9 0-60 time. fu'gly tho'. clarkson raved about it.

[MrKJBlue]

Fugly? I thought it was great! Nice bit of original British engineering Clarksons face had me in stiches
Much prefer the Atom to the Radical.

[RickM]

Originally posted by MrKJBlue
Nice bit of original British engineering

Isn't that a Lotus Super 7?

[banjomike]

looks more like a lotus super-duper 7

[Ed Bighi]

This is expected. After all, there is no car like a super 7. Having driven one, there is only one conclusion I drew. After driving one for an hour, any other car driven afterwards feels as if you are trying to run under water. Someday other manufacturers, and Porsche included, will stop the futile chase of hp to push the ever heavier pigs and chase lightness instead. Nothing against the Carrera GT, even though one would have to be crazy to waste 962 money on anything other than a far better performing 962, but I find it to be too heavy. While there is nothing wrong with the money that comes from making cars for sissies who need the cosseting, there is always the danger of losing not only the original core buyer, but the reputation as well. As for Lotus and whoever makes the 7 today, may they never be diluted by market forces and metrosexual drivers. Colin lives on.

[ZLP]

Originally posted by Ed Bighi
This is expected. After all, there is no car like a super 7. Having driven one, there is only one conclusion I drew. After driving one for an hour, any other car driven afterwards feels as if you are trying to run under water. Someday other manufacturers, and Porsche included, will stop the futile chase of hp to push the ever heavier pigs and chase lightness instead. Nothing against the Carrera GT, even though one would have to be a moron to waste 962 money on anything other than a far better performing 962, but I find it to be too heavy. While there is nothing wrong with the money that comes from making cars for sissies who need the cosseting, there is always the danger of losing not only the original core buyer, but the reputation as well. As for Lotus and whoever makes the 7 today, may they never be diluted by market forces and metrosexual drivers. Colin lives on.

Post 993 era=*****

[PorscheGuy79]

Originally posted by MrKJBlue
Fugly? I thought it was great! Nice bit of original British engineering Clarksons face had me in stiches
Much prefer the Atom to the Radical.

I dunno, the atom seems cool but I would have to go with the Radical. Its like owning your own LeMans car!

[Jim Garfield]

Originally posted by PorscheGuy79
I dunno, the atom seems cool but I would have to go with the Radical. Its like owning your own LeMans car!

Damon of Series 901 has a Radical that he's going to run in the One Lap of America next year. Who was it that used to say " more fun than a barrel of lesbians" ?

[RarlyL8]

What's a Radical? Any pix?

[ttweed]

Originally posted by RarlyL8
What's a Radical? Any pix?

Radical Motorsports website is here.

Ariel Atom website is here.

TT

[911nut]

Originally posted by Jim Garfield
Who was it that used to say " more fun than a barrel of lesbians" ?

That would be Bell.

[ipapilot]

Rarly, you gotta make it to one of the local DEs or scca races, we've had several Radicals at the track and they are AWESOME!

[masraum]

Street car? Looks more like a 2 seat formula ford or something

[Glasgow 911SC]

If I could afford either of these machines I'd buy one and drive it to work every day, whether it was raining, snowing or whatever.

[Kurt B]

Those aren't street legal in the US or even close. You want to drive a car that looks like that legally here, it better have been built in 1920. You have to compare apples to apples.