2016 Car & Driver Lightning Lap 10


Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
Lightning Lap (LL) 1: 2006 Ford GT - 3:00.7

LL 10: 2016 Shelby GT350R - 2:51.8

Impressive eh? Well, hold the cheers.

LL 8: 2015 Z-28 - 2:50.9

LL 10: 2017 Corvette GS - 2:47.1

I'm going to say the 2017 Z-28 will be within a few 1/10ths of the GS. Maybe match it.

How do you put the 350R on a much-needed diet, when it already has CF wheels, no back seat, etc.?
 

w.a.nelson

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 29, 2008
1,096
Asbury, NJ and Bourne, MA
Usually, at the end of the day, those guys are ahead of us.

Our engineering and performance accomplishments are nothing to be ashamed of, but Chevy always seems to be able to go the extra fraction.

Dang! I've been frustrated since '55. ( That was a LONG time ago for those of you who aren't familiar with that term. )
 

BtwoG

GT Owner
Dec 8, 2013
1,039
Atlanta, GA
I never knew that a FGT participated in the LL. That's a great data point. Though tire technology has changed significantly during those years and with the modern cars using R Comp tires, I'll bet that accounts for much of the difference.

Though the Z28 is a bit faster, environmental effects could certainly account the sub-second difference between the 350R and the Z28. I've never driven a Z28, but from what I've read, the GT350R is a much better street car.

However, I agree with you that the new Z28 will be sub 2:50 which is worlds ahead of the Shelby.
 

BtwoG

GT Owner
Dec 8, 2013
1,039
Atlanta, GA
And its still quite impressive that the Shelby beats the BMW M4 GTS, Porsche Cayman GT4, and Audi R8V10+

http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...results-historical-lap-times-and-more-feature

And I'm glad a magazine finally had the balls to show how much of a POS the Tesla is on track.
 

BtwoG

GT Owner
Dec 8, 2013
1,039
Atlanta, GA
Also, pretty amazing that the GT350R is 30 seconds per lap faster than a 2006 Mustang GT. That's worlds apart.


24 LL2 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R 2:51.8
188 LL1 2006 Ford Mustang GT 3:20.9
 

djs

GT Owner
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Jun 7, 2007
2,082
WADR, the Z/28 is a one dimensional track car. No one, and I mean no one drives one on the street, unless he/she is a real true believer. Yes, the GT350 should be lighter, but you're still comparing apples to oranges when one has a 7 liter push rod small block that makes torque down low vs a 5.2 liter DOHC flat planer that needs to rev. Tire technology as much as anything is the biggest difference in times plummeting over the last decade. But cars stripped of AC,creature comforts and sound deadening do not a comfortable ride make. I know one can buy a GT350R sans AC, etc., and maybe some folks do, but one doesn't see GT350s languishing on dealer lots. Z/28s, OTOH, are glued to the showroom floor.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
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Jul 18, 2006
5,832
Largo, Florida
Results from different years, different drivers, etc. are not definitive.
 

Specracer

GT Owner
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Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
If Tesla, Google etc have their way, this variable will be eliminated.


different drivers,.
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
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Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
Results from different years, different drivers, etc. are not definitive.
Fan boy.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
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Jul 18, 2006
5,832
Largo, Florida

It's Mr. Fanboi to you.
 

Mike Mosing

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 9, 2009
970
Florisiana
The guy that works on my cars drives his Z/28 on the street daily. Hates the tires because he will only get 500 miles out of them. I looked at it closely and I really am not a fan of the looks. I prefer the GT350R overall...so much that I got an allocation for one and could have bought a Z/28 from my local dealer but jumped at the chance to get the GT350R. It just seems to have a bit more P-Zaz...but less speed and I am OK with that.
 

stuntman

GT Owner
Jan 15, 2015
216
Results from different years, different drivers, etc. are not definitive.
Agreed. LL is a bit of a joke. It's conducted over multiple days using different drivers of varying levels of talent. KC is their best driver and is within a second or two of a Pro, meanwhile Tony and Aaron are a good few seconds off KC, and Josh is even less experienced.

Lap times can vary by second(S) over the course of a day, let alone 3, and you can't look at historic times either because VIR has been widened and repaved twice in the last 3 years. Looking at LL results isn't too far off going to an HPDE event and looking at how a given car stacks up with another (driver variables).

While 2 years separated the tests, MT's BDC uses a pro (Randy) and hold a lot more constant, and the GT350R was 1.7 seconds faster than the Z28. On the same day with a pro driving, the 350R is a good amount faster than the Z28.

0.02
 

dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
All of that ^.

A GT350R at VIR in the hands of a competent pro is 3+ seconds a lap faster than a Z28.
 

GTJack

GT Owner
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Oct 1, 2006
1,728
Saddlebrooke, MO
It's Mr. Fanboi to you.

And all these years I have been spelling it Phanboi.
 

07XL0027

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
May 20, 2012
1,546
Austin TX
https://youtu.be/vtdtGgf1BF0

The GT350R has the best lap times in this YouTube video.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

STORMCAT

GT
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Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 25, 2006
7,549
Ft. Lauderdale
our GT's GY tires are a weak link for good track times, Lot's of Z28's on the streets down here but we have really smooth roads, Z28 CC brakes are a big plus.. our test rides in a 350R were impressive.... never been in a Z28. those cars ( 350R & Z28) are always going to be close since they bench mark each other.
The new Z28 on this lighter platform will be interesting . I don't really keep up on the stats on the weights of these cars so I am not sure how much lighter the new Camaro is vs the previous gen.. Both the Mustang and the Camaro will get the new 10 speed auto.. ahhh the pony car wars .. :pop:pop
 
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GKW05GT

GT Owner
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May 28, 2011
2,755
Fayetteville, Ga.
https://youtu.be/vtdtGgf1BF0

The GT350R has the best lap times in this YouTube video.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Chris thought you were changing your screen name????
 

roketman

GT Owner
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Oct 24, 2005
7,996
ma.
Put me in a GT with similar sticky tires and I will beat them!
 

07XL0027

GT Owner
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May 20, 2012
1,546
Austin TX
That's the spirit!!


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stuntman

GT Owner
Jan 15, 2015
216
Someone should put MPSC2 tires on their GT and have a pro do a time at VIR.