Nurburgring Lap Times – How Far We’ve Come

"RightFootDown" (rightfootdown)
12/26/2013 at 15:14 • Filed to: None

I recently noticed while browsing posted !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that the 8 minute mark was a barrier which wasn't overcome by a mass produced street car until nearly the year 2000. It was then that professional driver, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! lapped the 1999 Porsche 996 GT3 around the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to a time of 7:56. It wasn't until a few years later that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! matched the GT3s time in a Corvette Z06, which was a reasonably priced sports car in comparison to the Porsche GT3.

Up until Walter Röhrl's lap in the Porsche 996 GT3, the Jaguar XJ220 and the Bugatti EB 110 were Kings of the 'Ring. The incredibly sexy Jaguar XJ220 with it's twin turbo V6 engine and a top speed of 217 MPH lapped the Nurburgring in 1992 to the time of 7:46. While breaking the 8 minute mark, the XJ220 wasn't exactly an available car on the market as most had already been sold. Over twenty years later the XJ220 still holds one of the top 50 fastest Nurburging lap times.

You also recall the Bugatti EB 110, right? Most famous in its shade of baby blue. The EB 110 screamed to 213 MPH using all 600 horsepower however it fell short of the 8 minute barrier by just 1 second. The legendary 200 MPH Lamborghini Diablo also missed the mark, setting a Nurburgring lap time of 8:04. And lastly, the Mopar powerhouse, Dodge Viper GTS coupe, bested 8:10.

Since the year 2000 there have been over 70 production vehicles to break the 8 minute barrier around the Green Hell. And if we told you in 1992 that a four door family sedan would best the exotics, we know you'd laugh. Look how far we've come.

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DISCUSSION (15)

Fred (FreddsterExprs) > RightFootDown
12/26/2013 at 15:19

Walter Röhrl said during an interview about the 918 record lap that he might has to update his quote "I am not putting on a helmet for anything above 8 minutes" to "I am not putting on a helmet for anything above 8 minutes". It has become that easy to drive fast around the ring thanks to new technology in sportscars.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > RightFootDown
12/26/2013 at 15:19

Now, the true question is: are those cars any more exciting to drive around the Nordschleife than the supercars of yore?

HiredDriver > RightFootDown
12/26/2013 at 15:37

Very interesting. With today's tire technology these cars would have easily broken the 8 minute mark.

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Fred (FreddsterExprs)
12/26/2013 at 15:37

He needs to change it to the same quote? I'm confused

Mandy > RightFootDown
12/26/2013 at 15:49

8 Minute barrier? That's for sissies. Let's talk about breaking the 7 minute barrier.

Radical SR8LM - 6:48.00

Kinja'd!!!

Radical SR8 - 6:56.08

Kinja'd!!!

Porsche 918 Spyder - 6:57.00

Kinja'd!!!

Fred (FreddsterExprs) > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
12/26/2013 at 16:01

Damn it, typo. It should say:
"I am not putting on a helmet for anything above 8 minutes" to "I am not putting on a helmet for anything above 7 minutes"

Great that I can't edit my original post.

briannutter1 > RightFootDown
12/26/2013 at 16:08

A lot of people don't believe in Ring times as being applicable to street cars, it's the best metric we have currently for multiple manufacturers to do battle in the same arena. Randy Pobst around Laguna Seca and Car and Driver's Lightning laps around VIR are better "real world" examples for track rats, but the results seem to scale over from 'ring times pretty well.

As a side note, my old c5z ran 7:55 and was done from a standing start versus rolling I believe. Tire technology has been pushed harder with o.e. tires now producing better times than racing d.o.t.'s of just a few years ago. Magneto shocks, aero work applied to production cars, better oiling and brakes, etc. etc. are a direct result of track testing.

feather-throttle-not-hair > RightFootDown
12/26/2013 at 17:57

Didn't the r33 gtr break 8 minutes back in the 90's? 96 maybe?

RightFootDown > feather-throttle-not-hair
12/27/2013 at 09:14

I think it couldn't be confirmed that the R33 v-spec 2 nür was stock — something about the speed limiter being removed if I recall correctly. Wiki has it listed. Interesting that it's not on Nurburgring's site.