Nordschleife Lap Times - Overrated?

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Hello Dear Community!

So, there have been some arguments about the Nordschleife, and especially about the Lap Records over it. But also about the cars but anyway:

Does you think that Lap Records are just meaningless figures or do you really think about these times as the "ultimate" scale if the car is any good or not?
Be honest.

Anyway: Personally I really freaks me out, how (especially on YouTube) everybody is fapping about every new lap record, about how great this car is and the discussions that come with that are even more rediculous!

I personally think, that It's quite impressing how fast some cars are like the GT-R, like the Apollo and like the ACR, but I really think that we all should stay on the ground and think of the Nordschleife just as an old technical road course and let it be what it is.

Because at the end no one will be able to set these times around the 'Schleife, and most of us won't be able to drive it over Nordschleife at all.


So, what do you think about all this madness going on about the track and lap records?


Cheers,
20832


P.S.: I have to adress that I'm a huge fan of this track, I adore this because of it's challenging layout.

To the Mods: If such an thread does exsist my apologies, and if this is the wrong section, please be kind and move it to the right place. Thanks!
 
The people who can afford these cars probably are interested in driving it at Nordschleife, as for the other people, how is it any different from comparing facts of 0-60 acceleration or top speed? Its just another stat, something that has always been part of selling high performance sports cars. The Nordschleife is arguably the greatest stretch of road in the world for driving, no speed limit and you can just turn up and drive it.
 
I don't regard these records as a "ultimate scale" about the quality of a car, but I rate them higher than the Top Gear ones :lol:

oh and Youtube's discussions are always ridiculous :D
 
@Bigbazz: Sure, but what do these numbers give you? "Wow, my car can do this and this"
But it's nothing if there's sitting an infantile behind the wheel, that doesn't know how do drive properly.

@Hun: True :lol:
 
I hold them as completely useless stats.

My issue with the times is that there is no control in the tests. There is no official timing on the ring except on race days, they usually use different tires, different drivers and are almost always on different days meaning conditions are different.

I have the same issue with TGTT times(we will never know if The Stig is one or multiple people).
 
Justin
I hold them as completely useless stats.

My issue with the times is that there is no control in the tests. There is no official timing on the ring except on race days, they usually use different tires, different drivers and are almost always on different days meaning conditions are different.
Click to expand...

+1. Nothing really stopping say, a Nissan or other manufacturer from bringing a "ringer" to lay down a time that no one can replicate with a production example.
 
YellowG1
+1. Nothing really stopping say, a Nissan or other manufacturer from bringing a "ringer" to lay down a time that no one can replicate with a production example.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure this is commonplace with Ferrari test cars, and probably every other car company.
 
20832
Hello Dear Community!

So, there have been some arguments about the Nordschleife, and especially about the Lap Records over it. But also about the cars but anyway:

Does you think that Lap Records are just meaningless figures or do you really think about these times as the "ultimate" scale if the car is any good or not?
Be honest.

Anyway: Personally I really freaks me out, how (especially on YouTube) everybody is fapping about every new lap record, about how great this car is and the discussions that come with that are even more rediculous!

I personally think, that It's quite impressing how fast some cars are like the GT-R, like the Apollo and like the ACR, but I really think that we all should stay on the ground and think of the Nordschleife just as an old technical road course and let it be what it is.

Because at the end no one will be able to set these times around the 'Schleife, and most of us won't be able to drive it over Nordschleife at all.


So, what do you think about all this madness going on about the track and lap records?


Cheers,
20832


P.S.: I have to adress that I'm a huge fan of this track, I adore this because of it's challenging layout.

To the Mods: If such an thread does exsist my apologies, and if this is the wrong section, please be kind and move it to the right place. Thanks!
Click to expand...

If the goal is to have a "drivable" sports car with excellent mechanical grip then you have to have a way to compare it with other cars.

The slalom, aka "the skid pad" is a good place to start. Max G-force is a great indicator. The skid pad is smooth though, it doesnt simulate the bumps a race track or mountain road might have.

People who buy these cars are making a big big investment......:sly:

Thing is the best track I can think of for comparing times is Road America because its easier to get a solid time there, the nordshliefe is so long w/variable weather conditions on diff parts of the circuit.

They do the Nordshlief because its "tradition" and because alot of the European sports cars run there. The euros do not come over and run Road America or Sebring to compare times.

Hmm....Its repulsive but most of the exotic car racing I see amongst the rich is out on the interstate, doing top speed runs and 70-150 mph rolls. So you have a point, if the goal is pure straightline speed a circuit isnt a good test bed.

Although, I'd like to have a rear wing if I'm going to do those kinds of speeds. :sly:
 
Bigbazz
Pretty sure this is commonplace with Ferrari test cars, and probably every other car company.
Click to expand...

They do. Everyone does.
It's the same with the craftsmanship of a car, how well the car is built.

There will be a lot of car that have various minor faults in that point, which you wouldn't normally recognises, but those test are sometimes this accurate, that marques send especially well - built examples to those test, to show how good these cars are.

For the times etc.

I personally think, that a lap record doesn't state anything. Porsche for example does not test cars on the Nordschleife (except the PCGT). They do test in Scandinavia and South Africa, so on the real road.
And I think, this is why Porsche does have the well - balanced cars they have. You can take to the track drive some hot laps and then drive home in nice comfort.

Call me James May :lol:
But I really don't think, that the Nordschleife is a good place to develop a car, and if so only for reliability.
1 Round equals about 3000km on the open road.
 
No, I don't take the Nurburgring lap times seriously. There is just simply too many variables to consider to call it an accurate test to compare cars performance.

But saying that it is fun to watch the rivalry between manufacturers. Save the ring!
 
The value of Nordschleife is in it's varying surfaces and other conditions that makes it a good test ground in addition to tests possibly done elsewhere. The lap times are just for marketing and don't really tell how good the car is outside of the ring. It seems to be a nice piece of road to drive though. :)
 

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