The standout performer of Car & Driver’s test was the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
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by Brad Anderson
4 hours ago
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by Brad Anderson
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Car and Driver recently held the latest iteration of its ever-intriguing Lightning Lap showdown, pitting some of the finest cars on the market together for laps around the Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course.
This year’s test attracted no less than 16 vehicles and while you may have already watched the full test through our previous post, this latest clip published by Car and Driver is free of any commentary and simply shows each and every car lapping the challenging circuit. This means we don’t only get to see how the cars perform but it also provides us with an excellent opportunity to hear what each sounds like.
The 16 cars tested were divided into five classes depending on their price. These consist of the LL1 class priced at up to $39,999, the LL2 class from $40,000 to $79,999, LL3 from $75,000 to $139,000, LL5 from $140,000 to $279,999 and LL5 from $280,000 and up. Among the cars tested were exciting hot hatches and sedans like the Hyundai Elantra N, Honda Civic Type R, and Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition while some of the more expensive cars pushed to their limits included the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, BMW M4 CSL, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, and Lamborghini Huracan Technica.
Some of the cars put in seriously impressive lap times. Of the hot hatches, the Civic Type R led the way with a time of 2:58.8, narrowly edging out the GR Corolla Morizo Edition with its 2:59.6. Other solid performers included the Audi RS3, which outpaced the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing by 2.1 seconds.
One of the disappointments of the test was the Lamborghini Huracan Technica. While by far the most expensive car tested (priced at a cool $342,595 with options), its best lap time was a 2:43.9. That placed it behind the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS ($186,975) with its 2:40.5 and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ($141,855) with a stunning lap of 2:38.6.
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