By Erik Johnson
Chevrolet’s Camaro lineup is becoming quite the haven for track-happy hooligans. It already includes the SS 1LE and one of this year’s Lightning Lap surprises, the mighty ZL1, which broke the 2:58 mark at VIR. And now comes the return of the iconic Z/28 nameplate, affixed to what GM is calling the “most track-capable Camaro ever.” READ MORE ››
Ever since lap times at the Nurburgring became a benchmark for a vehicle’s over-all performance, there has been a need to find a ‘benchmark’ track in the USA. Car and Driver, along with many other enthusiasts, think we already have such a track, the Virginia International Raceway (VIR).
Virginia International Raceway seems to be the ideal choice for testing a vehicle’s over-all performance dynamics. With the elevation changes, the Grand West Course’s 4.1 miles, 28 turns and proven effectiveness to challenge experienced race car drivers, VIR is the ideal home-grown Nurburgring. Car and Driver sets out to VIR for their Lightning Lap annual track torture test and brings us the official preview to the dueling test along with a run-down of the contenders. Enjoy the video below!
Lighting Lap is our annual track-torture test, wherein we gather the year’s hottest vehicles at Virginia International Raceway—a.k.a. VIR, a.k.a. America’s Nürburgring—and pit their lap times and performance data against those we’ve accumulated in previous LL competitions. The seventh running is almost here: Tomorrow, we’ll post the entire smorgasbord of vehicles, lap times, and data from Lightning Lap 2013, but for now check out this in-depth introduction:
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver
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