⚡Lightning Lap 2024 ⚡| The Ultimate Performance Car Test | Car and Driver
The wish list of vehicles to run at Lightning Lap starts long but quickly shrinks as the excuses start to roll in. Vehicle availability and timing are major factors. Sometimes, Lightning Lap comes too early, and a car hasn't landed in the press fleet or at dealers. Recent years have brought supply-chain issues, which have led to even more no-shows. And there's always the chance that the car earmarked for us to lap at Virginia International Raceway gets damaged in transit or by someone who exceeded their limits. Unfortunately, that happens more often than you might think.
In the weeks leading up to our 17th pilgrimage to VIR, we realized our group of 12 vehicles had room to grow. So, after getting a no from Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Rimac, and Aston Martin, we expanded our horizons. This led us to a couple of race cars: the Subaru WRX Airslayer Gymkhana machine and the darling of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the NASCAR-based Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro. And we invited a motorcycle -- the BMW M 1000 RR -- and a pro rider to see how a performance street bike would do against the year's fastest things on four wheels.
The contenders:
Honda Civic Si www.caranddriver.com/features...
Subaru BRZ (modified) www.caranddriver.com/news/a46...
Kia EV6 GT www.caranddriver.com/features...
Acura Integra Type S www.caranddriver.com/features...
BMW X5 M Competition www.caranddriver.com/features...
BMW M2 www.caranddriver.com/features...
Nissan Z NISMO www.caranddriver.com/features...
Ford Mustang Dark Horse www.caranddriver.com/features...
BMW M3 CS www.caranddriver.com/features...
Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray www.caranddriver.com/features...
Lucid Air Sapphire www.caranddriver.com/features...
Porsche 911 GT3 Manthey Racing www.caranddriver.com/features...
Porsche 911 GT3 RS www.caranddriver.com/features...
BMW M 1000 RR www.caranddriver.com/features...
Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 www.caranddriver.com/features...
Subaru Airslayer www.caranddriver.com/features...
00:00 Intro and how we test
01:44 Honda Civic Si, 03:16.9
03:14 Subaru BRZ (modified), 03:09.3
04:34 Kia EV6 GT, 03:04.9
05:57 Acura Integra Type S, 03:04.2
07:19 MW X5 M Competition, 02:58.1
08:46 BMW M2, 02:56.9
10:04 Nissan Z NISMO, 02:56.2
11:40 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, 02:51.2
13:25 BMW M3 CS, 02:50.0
14:36 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, 02:45.9
16:23 Lucid Air Sapphire, 02:44.3
18:41 Porsche 911 GT3 Manthey Racing, 02:39.8
20:28 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 02:37.2
22:26 Porsche 911 GT3 RS hot lap
25:26 The motorcycle and the two race cars
25:50 BMW M 1000 RR, 02:42.7
27:45 Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 02:26.7
29:48 Subaru Airslayer, 02:25.6
31:39 Results 2006 to 2024: Every vehicle, every lap time
This year's Lightning Lap was AWESOME, so we hope you enjoy watching! Happy to answer any questions you have. As always, if your favorite car wasn't included, keep in mind that we probably asked for it. See the full story here: www.caranddriver.com/features/a46575000/lightning-lap-2024/ See all lap times here: www.caranddriver.com/features/a23319884/lightning-lap-times-historical-data/
I enjoyed it but I would suggest putting Cup 2 R tires on that E-Ray that G80 M3 and the M2
@@CedrickLubin29To be part of the competition, we only allow cars to be equipped with factory equipment. Exceptions, like the BRZ this year, aren't included in the official results.
@@CarlosLago I like how y'all included a few different vehicles, but not too much to oversaturate, at the end there to draw comparison. As someone who takes their car to VIR for HPDEs (mine is a modified 911 997), I aways find myself watching these videos thinking, "I wonder how my car would do in the hands of their testers compared to modern equivalents. I wonder what they would think of my car compared to modern technology." Thank you for the videos. The worst part about them is waiting a year for the next one.
@@CarlosLago ahhh ok but what happens if the cars had upgrades from different companies
Think we might need to start listing what transmissions cars had during testing. It’s wild the 1LE beats the M2 that much when it was a manual, 7 years ago….guess I downgraded…
Thanks for doing this.
Love your content guys 👍
@savagegeese you are my favorit show on yt
@savagegeese I like your control tire 🛞 style track test much better. I want to see what different cars will do on same tire. I am here to watch a comparison of cars not tires. If I wanted to see tire 🛞 comparisons I would go to tirerack website. I liked it. But knowing certain cars had huge tire advantages over another ruined.
Thanks for making the best car reviews here on KZhead
Awesome to see you guys on here. I've been following your channel for years and I love the content and cheesey humor👍!
Really makes you appreciate the 6th Gen ZL1 1LE. Nothing but exotics and Z06s on the list and then it shows up outta nowhere right in front of the Huracan EVO. Walks all over the M4 CSL and even a 991.2 GT3. And all for ~$65k. GM must be smoking some real funny stuff to give it the axe.
...I blame shareholders. Sadly, lesser Camaros are not as thrilling to own. I get why a 4-cyl turbo Camaro is necessary, but give that car exceptional handling. Worst case, sell the car as V8 only or blasphemously as a hybrid 4-cyl/V6 turbo and EV assist...
It's not a production car!!!
@@stevendavis6157The ZL1 1LE is a production car. The car in the video is not what he's talking about. At 32:02 you can see the lap time of the ZL1 1LE.
@@K03sportLook at the turbo 4cyl 1LE. It DOES have exceptional handling, albeit they didn't offer the 1LE pkg on that specific engine for very long.
@@stevendavis6157the ZL1 1LE absolutely is. They made nearly 5000 of them between 2018 and 2024.
The fact that Taylor in the G56 _never lifted_ while going through the esses is a testament to the sheer amount of high-speed cornering ability that the G56 has.
Yea the g56
And Jordan Taylors balls of steel
it's said that car was so loud it was the one that kept everyone awake at LeMans and it was as quick as some of the prototypes
Would've been nice if GM had put more than just a sticker package on the ZL1 G56 edition that they made in 2024. I'd even settle for just the sound of that monster.
The world's most agile brick/bar of soap.
Carlos, the BRZ brakes aren't what causes owners anxiety. Steady right hand turns do....💥💥
😂😂👍
god knows if Lucid will survive, but am glad they got the Sapphire out before any potential demise
At the same time, Tesla has 29 billion USD in cash on hand, but is not able to provide a Model S with "Track Pack", well, well ,well... next up: stock buybacks. But if Lucid is going under, Porsche in now bringing a tri motor (GT?) Taycan to market and the Boxter/Cayman is also around the corner, taking hopefully a lot of inspiration from the Mission R.
Sad stuff I lost a bunch of money on them
Someone fill me in on this. What happened to them?
@@jponz85 back in 2020 their stock started off just shy of 10 US. twice since then they peaked over 50 USD. since that last peak just before end of 2021 it's tumbled way down and is hovering around 3 USD now. I would say they are engineers first and marketers second.
@@claysmell Their stock price is a function of a failing business. Great product, but unfortunately they're burning money trying to become profitable with increasingly negative cash flow. Unless they have a plan to increase their margins and reach an economy of scale, they're not going to follow in Tesla's footsteps.
The Airslayer, such an absolute monster. My favorite car of all time and I've been waiting for the VIR results for months. It did not disappoint. Great job Scott Speed!
Man, that GT3 RS is pure perfection
Meh...for close to $300K? Really? If they could get that out of them for under $100K or less, sure I agree.
@@BigBear-- Not sure I care if you agree or not, to me it's perfection
@@RezcuzFor $300,000. It should be perfection. Just curious. Do you own one?
@@BigBear-- Can't get perfection for under 100K, 300K reduced to 225K is about the limit or 75%, not 25% or 75K.
@@gen1c8rs88 Z06 is less than a second off and 100K cheaper lol
I’m not even a corvette fan but after looking at those lightning lap times it’s pretty incredible. If you look at the price range of all the cars surrounding it, it really punches way above its weight class.
I'm a huge Corvette fan, and I must say, the last 10 years have been good (what the hell, 15). I have a 2017 Z06. It's so great, I can only imagine what the C8 variant is like. I've been witness to the improvments over the years. Prior to the 17, I had an 08 Z06. Prior to that was an 04 Z06. Lets all get ready for ZR1! I dont think it can take top spot even with really high hp, but I think it will get close. I think the weight is just too high to take the top. But all in all, we are all car fans. I love myself a good Porsche, and would get a 911 turbo S if I could and a 911 GT3 for the track, but we are all in somekind of financial situation that limits us to what we can get. That is where the vette accells. It allows the "everyday" guy to get something really fast. But, there's plenty of fun in all kinds of lower and or older classes. Lets all just have fun and be safe!
What Chevy has done with the C8 line is astonishing
Absolutely riveting content as always! This annual showdown not only quenches our thirst for high-speed action but also serves as a crucial guide for many of us plotting our next dream ride or toy purchase. It's fascinating to see the evolution of performance and how new tire technology could potentially breathe new life into older models, hinting at untapped potential and a blend of nostalgia with modern capability.
The Sapphire hitting those numbers with those tires is INSANE! The Saudis picked a winner 🏆
I’m old, I remember vividly when this started, I was and continue to be excited for these!
My dog is blind and even he can see how incredible it is that a four-door electric car weighing well over 2-ton is in the same league as the phenomenally fast Viper ACR. I truly hope Lucid last long enough to make right-hand drive models and export them to Australia. In fact, I hope they last a lot longer than that. ❤
Tell your dog I said hi
@@SteveHarrellRally I did. He barked and went to the door.
@@SteveHarrellRally - did you happen to see the video of it?
@@TobyDog I did not. Where can I find it?
G56 is all screaming Eagles baby!
The airslayer spitting fire out of the hood is just 🔥🔥🔥
DAMN! Lucid cut through that track smoother than butter!
It's so incredible
Looks badass too!
@@ZREXER1250 they've got oil money behind them. They'll be fine
As most current will other than Tesla. The VAST majority of vehicle owners do not want electric nor do they want or need a 5300lb 800hp battery powered one...Physics is not happy with that.
i was hating at first but that shit was nuts
Epic episode, I've always enjoyed the Lightning Laps throughout the years. Happy to see Nate Kern representing the two wheel world on that beautiful BMW.
Sweet, love when this drops every year! Helps with the toy purchase plans! Great to have this many cars compared. Older cars would see better times with new tire compounds, but that higher speed might introduce other limitations and quirks. Keep it up!
Always look forward to watching this yearly event. It’s so awesome to see some of my favorite dream cars get pushed to the limit! Much love from Texas!
Thanks C&D for this. As someone who works in the industry (in design, but loves trackdays), I look forward to these every year.
which brand do you work for? :)
I'm in love with that new mustang. It's just so damn nice looking sounding everything! Woowee
These are so much fun! Thanks for all of the hard work!
Love the 911 Gt3 RS. That sound and that well engineered car..with only 520hp.superb!
Well engineered car is an understatement
@@barsaf9989 that's right😉
Dude relax
Its not that serious
What you mean only ? It’s an na 4.0
Right when you had me sold on the Lucid- *GT3 FLAT-6 WAIL* (I can't afford either)
This is explained very well. Car journalism has always been the best journalists.
Simply awesome! Love the three additions!!!
One of my favorite videos and articles of the year!! Please invite more specialty stuff next year too! It was great to see a 3 vehicle "shootout" done by the pros!
Nismo Z remains complete garbage. 5 seconds down on the Mustang for the same money, cooked rear diff, crap Mercedes gearbox.
What’s funnier is they refused to put in manual so they could focus on lap times 🤣
@@TheHoosiers2008Unless you are Porsche, "automatic-only for lap times" means could not engineer the manual to be durable enough or shift without grinding gears for track duty.
@@Ficon No, it’s not about durability or “grinding gears”, manuals are just slower, all of them compared to similar automatic. I still prefer manuals. My point is that Nissan should have offered a manual since their lap times suck anyway.
Bests an M2 and ya’ll still shit on this car. I’ve lost a lot of interest in this car but jeez…
@@Ficon No. Autos are just faster.
Love Car and Driver. Been an avid reader since 1986!! Now i enjoy both the magazine and the videos.
Very enjoyable video. I also like the listing of times at the end! Well done!
31:39 Notice how it takes decades for the competitors to catch up to the Dodge Vipers. 😲🙏
I mean the 2015 Vette is right there only .4 slower... 122k for the Viper vs 85k for the Vette
@@noelm493 and the Viper has an ironing board for a wing. The Z06 has a smallish wicker bill. Granted stage 3 can get big. I have stage 2. Even the Zr-1 has a smaller wing.
Garage 56 Camaro, wow !!!!! thanks for that one!
What a great video! Thanks for the content guys - appreciate the effort. 👍👍
You guys getting bikes and race cars in here is genuinely awesome, I look forward to this every year and it only seems to get better
I am very impressed by the Lucid Air Sapphire! Wow!!!
I was surprised to see all of the McLaren's putting in higher top speed times down the long straight (720s, Senna, 765LT).
for twice the price of a plaid looool
@@georgyzhukov6409 why does it matter that it’s twice the price? Or are your only metrics performance & price? Never mind all of the other dimensions of owning a car eh?
The Lucid Sapphire would probably be a sub 2min40 car with CUP2R or equivalent R compound...
twice the price of a plaid.... lol
You've got copy/paste nailed @@georgyzhukov6409
Great show….I love stuff like this…especially the bloopers😃 Please keep making great videos!
Love this series please never stop!
I love this stuff. I appreciate all the work that goes into this. I have a feeling there is a GT2 RS 992 on the way that is going to shake this list up a bit but I am a bit of a Porsche fan boy.
Looking forward to seeing that 👍
Me too. I have 997.1 911 Turbo which I absolutely love
I wonder how fast many of the older cars would be with modern rubber under them?
The question is , how far do we go back? A 1989 lambo Countach has some pretty good hp and torque numbers. What would it do with a better tire. The examples are endless. Ferrari F40, GMC Cyclone, Buick GNX......It could go on and on. How about a C4 Zr-1?
@@Jason_wpok25158those transmissions and differentials tho …
This content is so freaking AMAZING! Keep it up C&D!!!
Every element of this vid is impressive. Great driving, photography, editing and always enjoy learning something new from the comments. Semper Fi🇺🇸
Actually, I want to say that the Porsche Turbo S did an amazing lap time for a car only on Pzeros. Cup 2R's would probably give at least 4 seconds in time.
You guys need a run a 992 Turbo S Lightweight on Cup 2R tires and please make sure the car also has the Sport Design Aerokit (extra 60lbs. downforce)... I bet it's near as fast as the GT3RS.
i keeping this to watch at dinner time!thanks to you guys!
I look forward to this every year, and it never disappoints. BZ OUTSATANDING.
I am so very disappointed that C&D did not bring back an Elantra N. Last year, they had an issue with tires and the car did not perform up to its full potential. (They also used the slower manual version IIRC) They said that they would give it another shot, but we have waited a full year for nothing. Maybe bring it and this year's BMW for a make-up session?
They probably gonna do it for the refresh which dropped this year; so apart of next year's lightning lap?
Not sure about this year's Hyundai situation, but I do know that C/D doesn't really get choice for the options on the cars. It seems the manufacturer sends whatever they want to, like this year's M2 having a sunroof and the comfort seats, last year's GTI being manual, and presumably last year's manual Elantra was not their choice, either.
Apparently the Elantra N put down 1:46 on Laguna seca then the facelifted did 1:44...about 2 secs of improvement hopefully we could see that improvement of suspension and tuning on VIR once C/D gets their hands on one.
They probably didn’t get to have one given the fact that the facelift is out (or coming soon).
One of the GOAT car series offered on any medium! Cheers to another year!
Lucid is doing amazing stuff. For such a heavy, luxury sedan to hang with pure sports/track cars. Super!
What sad is the new m5 is going to be 300 lbs heavier than it.
The amount of lap times at the end is truly impressive, I genuinely think this is the best track to predict how fast a car is. You have a combination of tight turns, fast sweepers and straights that very few tracks offer.
incredible. best car review track test of the year.
The Mach 1 is way better buy than the Dark Horse, got it! Thanks!
Fantastic job. Really enjoyed that.
This is a highlight for us every year!
Thanks, so much info for petrolheads and I really appreciate that someone compare this cars not only at drag strip
This video always makes my day
First time here and i see this and wonder how in the worid could i miss this...really good and keep it up
Great work. Thank you!
That GT3 RS video was epic. Thanks for showing the top 3 times for each section. That car is fast!
Lighting Lap is one of the best events on the global calendar of motorsports! Thanks!!
watching the air slayer was so crazy. love it!
Would love to see what that Lucid could do with the same tires as the GT3 RS.
This was awesome. Thanks can’t get enough of the Garage 56 Camaro!
Blows my mind that the Lucid a 4 door luxury sedan is quicker around the track than the likes of the Huracan EVO, 488GTB and the 2024 Corvette E-Ray.....what the hell??
Loves Carlos commentary! My Man !
I shared a garage at VIR at a motorcycle race in 2008 (?) and he brought the first 1000RR in the USA to the race that weekend. I immediately started saving to buy one when they came out. Great dude!
Fkn fantastic video. Thanks!
These tests are the best, most comprehensive car content on KZhead. I said what i said
OMG I love these Lightning Lap videos!
This video is great!
Big ups to lucid I love what they're doing I can't wait to see what they do next
Big downs to BMWs, who’s front end looks like ass. No, really. Two asscheeks split by a thong. Now that I’ve mentioned it, you can never unsee it 😂😂
Great video! Looking to get my first occasional track car/daily and this pretty much solidified my choice in the 86/brz. Lucid rocks!!!!
Wow! One of the tests that I wait for every year! Tanks! 🏆
Awesome!
Great video, this is just incredible, I'm going to Forza to race on this VIR configuration :P Also there's a small typo for the 2023 M2 time at the end of the video ;)
The music at the end helped me read faster. Nice list.
Well done No embellishments, just lap times and driving impressions. It would be interesting to include the power-to-weight ratio in the lap timesheet
One word. Awesome
Hell yeah, Vermont Sportscar represent! We love our Brave Little State's Subaru culture 👍
Still waiting for Nissan to explain why they're pricing a $40k car at $68k plus markups...for an uninspiring experience overall. Just a regular automatic and a differential that's not up to the task. Who wants to pay what will surely end up being $85k out the door for that? What the 400z could have been...
Great video !
Amazing list of cars... 🙌
It’s that time of the year again!
Great video thank you Car and Driver. So much better than Motortrend these days. Those sell outs.
Can’t wait to get my hard copy in the mail, and read the synopsis of each vehicle. I view Car & Drivers Lighting Lap as a crucible the ascertain the progress automotive engineers have achieved but also as our version of the feared Nurburgring lap times
Wonderful format - I love to watch it from the other side of the Atlantic - great lap times!!!!! A few comic relief comments....no it's not even close to the Nürburgring...but it's fun to watch nevertheless - some test drivers are seriously overweight which must have an impact on the lap times 😁
Props to the pilot on the full lap of the Porsche GT3 RS. Perfect lines - almost Senna like. 👍🏿
Great effort and great video thanks! That Lucid Air Sapphire tho....it's in the SAME LEAGUE as the Viper ACR, and Huracan Performance!! Whaaat?
EV usually loses at top speed due to lag of gear
@@user-jh6vt8vx4v LAS has a 205mph top speed.... not a limiting factor here
I wonder why Tesla wont provide a model S plaid for the test.
Enjoyable as always but what’s most amazing to me is the end list and so many older supercars with times in the 2:50s are now easily beaten by a newer car with same hp/tq, due to various combos of modern tires, crazy suspension/aero tech and quicker shifting transmissions
Been waiting a year, Yes!
Looks like this year runs were a bit slower thay they should be. Also, huge props to bringing a bike! Hopefully it become a tradition - Panigale V4R next year?
I expected the bike to be closer in time to the street cars. I wonder if some of that time differential is due to the cars being able to exceed the track limits in the esses
@@taylorhickman84 I agree with you, my experience tell me the same. Imo bike rider need more time to get to the proper pace. Liter bike of this caliber on a slick with a really good rider could lap faster than 992 GT3 on cup2R, which would be equal to like 2.38ish at least on VIR. on racetrack I used to drive/ride 991 gt3 with really good driver showed 2.05ish; GT4 race cars around 2.01-2.03. Liter bikes (race ready albeit) on slick with good riders (national best) manages to do 1.54-1.59. I think sub 2.40 is possible for such a setup on VIR. Skill is way more important factor on a bike than on a car. Being 5% off world best drivers is more or less accesible; being even 10% off world best motorcycle pilots - not so much.
Love the Lightning laps! Keep up the good work! Looking at the lap times at the end, it is crazy to think that Chevrolet has created the C8 (all versions) that can put up lap times in the same vicinity as the big Europeans, and at a fraction of the cost!
Not all C8’s buddy. The base c8 is pretty slow. My four door sedan beats it in 1/4 mile races, roll races, and has faster track times. It ran a 7:30 at the Nurburgring which for a mid engine sports car with 500 hp is pathetic.
@@Bimmer_Bill It really isn't considering the street-friendly tires that it has and the overall conception. It's just as fast on the Ring as the comparable 992 Carrera S with almost the same power/weight-ratio and faster than an R8 V10 with much more power. Your sedan was barely faster despite having had Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2-tires which are vastly superior.
@@TimsKZhead-yt4of absolutely incorrect. M4 comp xdrive did a 7:28.5 on pilot sport 4 s tires NOT cup 2 tires! BMW has repeatedly made the statement they will not run their cars on tires that cannot be specced from the factory and the fact is YOU CANNOT spec cup 2’s on the m4 comp xdrive (m3 comp xdrive as well). The base c8 did a 7:30 and therefore was slower also on street tires. The M3CS can be specced on regular cup 2’s but more frequently found with piece of crap pirelli’s or the common PS4’s. Try again.
@@Bimmer_Billtypical keyboard warrior, your approach needs some work. Try being a little more humble then maybe the internet might care.
@@Gchang54 look here kid I own a 2024 m3 comp xdrive. I’m not a keyboard warrior. What do you own…a Sony PlayStation? 🤣🤣🤣
Love seeing the Precision Design Worx shifters in the Garage56 beast.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!🥇
26:22 shiver. Fuck me that’s when you have all the confidence in your equipment.
I'd give this 10 thumbs up if I could. Always look forward to C&D Lightning Lap. The 3 specials were cool, but I love the focus on the street car comparison. They're relatable. Race cars race all the time.
Thank you for including the Z
Amazing video. It would be really cool to have some static cameras on tripods at different parts of the track to show how two or three cars take the same turns, kinda like racing a ghost on a sim racer
Since the track was resurfaced they need to redo all Camaros one last time for a proper send off