Results Complete, Mini Reviews in progress
Note all testing was done using a DS3 with sensitivity set at 7 and driving with an automatic transmission.
Times: London
55.509 XDesperado67 Dodge Challenger SRT8 '08 "Isabella"
53.484 wildheart90 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 '09
56.293 CyKosis1973 Jaguar XKR Coupe '10
57.281 oopssorryy Lexus GS300 '00
58.084 Rallywagon C-Fresh Tuned Subaru Legacy B4 Blitzen '00
53.354 CSLACR Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR '08
53.733 Indy Racerfan SLR AMG "Breaking Wrist"
55.290 DigitalBaka Ferrari California '08 GT "Solar Flare"
53.104 madmyk Bugatti Veyron 16.4 '09
56.532 Jackthalad BMW M3 Coupe '07
56.725 sean10mm Audi RS6 Avant '08
00.000 GPdesign
57.179 tris_73 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
52.939 ACSR421 Lamborghini Murcialago LP670-4 SV '09 "Bodacious"
52.858 krenkme Nissan GT-R SPEC V '09
56.441 Motor City Hami Maserati GranTurismo S '08
52.757 Shmogt Bugatti Veyron 16.4 2009
55.924 nomis3613 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
59.435 Onboy123 Mercedes CL626 'Blue Whale’
56.397 Dragonthing BMW M5 '08 "Sturmdrachen"
53.382 Johnnypenso Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro '09
54.420 MrGrado Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C6) '09
55.779 praiano63 Maserati Gran Turismo S '08
56.092 sheephead99 Mercedes C63 AMG 'GT Edition'
Times: Autodromo Nazionale Monza (No Chicane)
103.266 XDesperado67 Dodge Challenger SRT8 '08 "Isabella"
100.135 wildheart90 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 '09
104.957 CyKosis1973 Jaguar XKR Coupe '10
107.504 oopssorryy Lexus GS300 '00
108.624 Rallywagon C-Fresh Tuned Subaru Legacy B4 Blitzen '00
96.899 CSLACR Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR '08
100.154 Indy Racerfan SLR AMG "Breaking Wrist"
104.861 DigitalBaka Ferrari California '08 GT "Solar Flare"
96.737 madmyk Bugatti Veyron 16.4 '09
108.117 Jackthalad BMW M3 Coupe '07
108.061 sean10mm Audi RS6 Avant '08
00.000 GPdesign
107.964 tris_73 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
98.497 ACSR421 Lamborghini Murcialago LP670-4 SV '09 "Bodacious"
98.230 krenkme Nissan GT-R SPEC V '09
105.518 Motor City Hami Maserati GranTurismo S '08
96.229 Shmogt Bugatti Veyron 16.4 2009
103.946 nomis3613 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
110.268 Onboy123 Mercedes CL626 'Blue Whale’
105.966 Dragonthing BMW M5 '08 "Sturmdrachen"
97.247 Johnnypenso Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro '09
99.418 MrGrado Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C6) '09
105.973 praiano63 Maserati Gran Turismo S '08
106.544 sheephead99 Mercedes C63 AMG 'GT Edition'
Drivers Choice
Group A
1. XDesperado67 Dodge Challenger SRT8 '08 "Isabella"
2. CSLACR Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR '08
3. CyKosis1973 Jaguar XKR Coupe '10
4. Rallywagon C-Fresh Tuned Subaru Legacy B4 Blitzen '00
5. wildheart90 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 '09
6. oopssorryy Lexus GS300 '00
Group B
1. sean10mm Audi RS6 Avant '08
2. Jackthalad BMW M3 Coupe '07
3. Indy Racerfan SLR AMG "Breaking Wrist"
4. DigitalBaka Ferrari California '08 GT "Solar Flare"
5. madmyk Bugatti Veyron 16.4 '09
Group C
1. ACSR421 Lamborghini Murcialago LP670-4 SV '09 "Bodacious"
2. tris_73 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
3. nomis3613 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
4. Motor City Hami Maserati GranTurismo S '08
5. Shmogt Bugatti Veyron 16.4 2009
6. krenkme Nissan GT-R SPEC V '09
Group D
1. Johnnypenso Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro '09
2. praiano63 Maserati Gran Turismo S '08
3. Onboy123 Mercedes CL626 'Blue Whale’
4. Dragonthing BMW M5 '08 "Sturmdrachen"
5. sheephead99 Mercedes C63 AMG 'GT Edition'
6. MrGrado Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C6) '09
Comments
Group A
XDesperado67 Dodge Challenger SRT8 '08 "Isabella":What can I say, she's a sweet ride, with neutral handling and limited wheelspin only under hard acceleration out of the slower corners. Good tire wear with great brakes that haul her back down to cornering speeds quickly with no loss of control. You do have to show some respect with the throttle over the curbs in London or they'll kick her tail around into oversteer, otherwise handles bumps and curbs smoothly keeping you aware of the roads surface without ever jarring you. Overall an excellent combination of driver friendliness and performance, that is fun and engaging without being demanding. Drivers Choice 1st
wildheart90 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 '09: Very fast car with good ride and handling. Unfortunately seems to lack grip, as the car doesn't so much understeer as such, but instead slides sideways with all four tires going red. Speaking of tires it is fairly hard on them and lap times noticeable suffer from even slight wear due to reduced grip. Drivers Choice 5th
CyKosis1973 Jaguar XKR Coupe '10: Nice grip, smooth ride with good feel for the road surface. Generally handles bumps and curbs well but some care must be exercised through the last sector of London to avoid knocking the rear end loose resulting in throttle oversteer. Very slight understeer that is most noticeable in mid and high speed corners where you have to delay a bit longer before jumping back on the throttle. Tire wear is adequate at best with the rears wearing faster than the fronts due to a tendency towards wheelspin under hard acceleration. Handling remains consistently good even with tire wear although the rear end does get looser and more prone to wheelspin. Drivers Choice 3rd
oopssorryy Lexus GS300 '00: Unfortunately understeer, which surprisingly is more apparent in London, prevents this car from reaching its full potential. Very good tire wear complemented by good brakes help it to maintain consistent lap times. Having a smooth ride that isn't upset by the bumps and curbs is a plus, but the slower acceleration and lower top end leaves it well behind most cars here. Still a very pleasant drive despite its shortcomings. Drivers Choice 6th
Rallywagon C-Fresh Tuned Subaru Legacy B4 Blitzen '00: Simply lacks the power to keep up. Great neutral handling that's totally unphased by bumps and curbs, excellent brakes and the best tire wear I've seen. Absolute pleasure to drive and will continue laying down consistent laps within a couple tenths of a second until well after most cars here have pitted for their second or third set of tires. Given another 100HP from somewhere it would be a top contender. Drivers Choice 4th
CSLACR Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR '08: Very fast car with great handling though some care must be exercised in London over the curbs as they can upset the car. Throttle control is important to get the best performance, but the car has less wheelspin than you might expect from its power. Definitely at its best on the open track of Monza where it can show off its speed and exceptional grip in the high speed corners. Tire wear is okay as long as you keep the rear wheelspin to a minimum. Best sounding car in the entire Blowout which really enhances the driving pleasure. Drivers Choice 2nd
Group B
Indy Racerfan SLR AMG "Breaking Wrist": Very good speed and tire wear. Slight hint of understeer that's most noticeable in the high speed corners on Monza. Handles the curbs in London well. Overall a good car that's fairly easy to drive fast. Despite the speed and ease of driving the car feels somewhat remote and isn't as engaging a drive as some of the other cars in the group. Drivers Choice 3rd
DigitalBaka Ferrari California '08 GT "Solar Flare": Excellent tire wear and handling that stays good even when tires get down to 50% wear. Predictable yet fun to drive. Generally handles the curbs in London well although you can induce oversteer when crossing them by injudicous application of the throttle. Only real drawback is a disappointing lack of speed, expected more zip in acceleration and a higher top speed from a Ferrari. Drivers Choice 4th
madmyk Bugatti Veyron 16.4 '09: Extremely fast as expected. Unfortunately understeer and lackluster brakes keep this beast from totally blowing away the competition. Tire wear is okay though you do start losing the fronts first causing the understeer to worsen. Drivers Choice 5th
Jackthalad BMW M3 Coupe '07: Great driving feel and very fun car to drive. Feels lighter, more responsive and nimble than the other cars in the group. Your more aware of the curbs in London but they don't upset the cars handling. Very good tire wear. Driving sensation is definitely on the sporty side of the GT spectrum and not so much the comfortable high speed cruiser. Low top speed is only real drawback. Drivers Choice 2nd
sean10mm Audi RS6 Avant '08: Smooth is the best term to describe this car. It is an absolute joy to drive just flowing around the track whether it's the tight streets of London or the open roads of Monza. As good as this car is it made me wonder why sean10mm didn't go all in on the power, and the only conclusion I can make, after a quick couple of laps on both tracks, with the sports ECU and High RPM turbo fitted, is he wanted to match classes commonly found online. No matter though as this is most assuredly my pick as the best driving car in this group.
Drivers Choice 1st
GPdesign Withdrawn due to technical issues.
Group C
tris_73 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04:Nice car that unfortunately feels faster than it's lap times show. Brakes were just about perfect for me. Good feel that kept you aware of the road surface without being jarring. Suffers from very mild high speed understeer. Has good tire wear. Drivers Choice 2nd
ACSR421 Lamborghini Murcialago LP670-4 SV '09 "Bodacious": Very fast easy to drive car. Well behaved, yet let's you feel the road. Steering felt a bit "tight", for lack of a better term, in London, but was great at Monza. Another car with first class brakes. Excellent tire wear. Drivers Choice 1st
krenkme Nissan GT-R SPEC V '09: Very fast, edgy car. Feels very loose and care is needed in London or the curbs will upset it. At Monza it seems to be a little short on grip. Tire wear is adequate at best and handling deteriorates along with the tires. Has the worst transmission whine of any car tested. Drivers Choice 6th
Motor City Hami Maserati GranTurismo S '08: Reasonably quick if you can manage to get your lines and speeds into corners correct but not an easy car to drive fast. Lacks of grip, understeers, and is easily upset by curbs. Tire wear isn't great either and handling only gets worse as the tires get eaten. Drivers Choice 4th
Shmogt Bugatti Veyron 16.4 2009: Extreme speed is the highlight here. Unfortunately bad understeer, and brake issues prevent a greater exploration of this insanely fast cars full capabilities. The heavy rearward bias of the torque splitter means you'll get the rear wheels spinning under hard acceleration out of slower corners. Meanwhile the front tends to lock up early under heavy braking. Both these factors combine to fairly quick tire wear which only increases the problems. Drivers Choice 5th
nomis3613 Mercedes Benz, SL 65 AMG (R230) '04: Definitely the faster of the two SL 65s with its greater power. Driving feel is smooth but more isolated than tris_73's car. Suffers from understeer that is easily countered in London tighter corners with some extra throttle to break the rearend loose. However, this isn't really an option in the longer medium and high speed corners. Tire wear is decent but the rears tend to give out first because of spinning under hard acceleration. Brakes are solid if a bit heavy and the car doesn't turn in well under hard braking. Drivers Choice 3rd
Group D
Onboy123 Mercedes CL626 'Blue Whale’: Wonderful ride, smooth handling with no real over or under steer. Excellent tire wear aided by good brakes that get the job done with no muss or fuss. Good as a luxury car getting around town and wonderful high speed cruiser on the autobahn, but as a track day performance machine it falls well short of the other cars here. Not a fault of the tune which is outstanding but rather a simple product of the cars limitations. Drivers Choice 3rd
Dragonthing BMW M5 '08 "Sturmdrachen": A well dressed thugs. If Onboy's car represents refined luxury for societies civilized upper class, this is a gangster in a tuxedo. In a surprise amongst all these heavyweights you find a car with oversteer instead of the more prevalent understeer. The front is surprisingly grippy leading to ultra quick turn in and good mid corner lines. Some care must be taken on corner exit not to overcook it and have the rear break free. The suspension provides a harsher ride that can become unsettled by bumps and curbs. Also there seems to be an issue with weight transfer as the car struggles with rapid directional transitional moves. A bit hard on tires, especially the rear, but handling, remains consist. Fun drive once you adapt to the over steer. Drivers Choice 4th
Johnnypenso Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro '09: Very fast, smooth drive. Nothing upsets this car, you have to be very ham fisted to get it to break loose and even then is incredibly easy to get back under control. Excellent tire wear that provides highly consistent laps for much longer than many of the other cars here. My only question is, where do I put the luggage for that weekend get away on the French Riviera with my girlfriend? Drivers Choice 1st
MrGrado Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C6) '09: Fast car that's fun to drive. More of the muscle car brute force approach than a refined performance machine. Massive amounts of HP and torque, combined with a fairly high LSD setting, means you can light the rear tires up even exiting medium speed corners. Has good grip and turn in, but stiff suspension and its propensity to spin the rear wheels makes it rather nervous on bumps and over curbs. Tire wear is adequate at best and real care with the throttle is required to prevent shredding the rear tires. Drivers Choice 6th
praiano63 Maserati Gran Turismo S '08: Great driving feel, keeps you aware of the road surface without being stiff or getting upset by bumps and curbs. Excellent tire wear that is aided by wonderful brakes and a transmission/LSD combo that results in almost no wheelspin. Very good car overall. Drivers Choice 2nd
sheephead99 Mercedes C63 AMG 'GT Edition': Here is a Merc with an attitude. While a touch more refined in London than Dragonthing's M5 it will still punish you for having to heavy of a foot and not showing the curbs enough respect. For some reason I found it a bit twitchy at Monza where I struggled to lay down clean laps. The brakes felt a bit soft for my driving style which contributed to my problems at Monza. Tire wear was okay but even slight wear made it more difficult to get predictable handling. Drivers Choice 5th