Car & Driver 2023 lightning lap

[FLtrackdays]

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a42387169/lightning-lap-2023/

Imagine what a little bit of softer rubber and an automatic could do? For the price… Wow!

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[Supraluv]

I agree with you 100%

 

[J29DB03]

Nissan must’ve had an auto Z and noticed Toyota brought a manual Supra. PR department was like, “No, no, no, even we couldn’t bullshit our way out of why it’s slower this time. Tell them we can’t make it.”

 

[Rocksandblues]

Really want to run the Grand course!
Signed up for the North course and Full course early March.....

 

[AHP]

My takeaway is the M6 is significantly quicker, despite popular opinion.



2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0, 2:55.6 (M6)

2021 Toyota Supra 3.0 Premium, 2:59.3

2020 Toyota Supra Premium, 3:01.4

 

[DrSupra]

Wow I did not see that coming at all. To be honest, I was a bit sad about the previous lightning lap times being so close to (and over) 3 minutes and slower than some other cars I would have hoped it was quicker than. Those four seconds make a big difference when considering the times of the competition and cars with similar price tags that have been tested over the years.

In the Supra specific write up, they go as far as saying that they can't attribute the difference to just suspension tuning (I'm no expert so I'll let others comment on that). However, it does note that a minimal amount of shifting is required over the length of the track.

 

[Rocksandblues]

Wow I did not see that coming at all. To be honest, I was a bit sad about the previous lightning lap times being so close to (and over) 3 minutes and slower than some other cars I would have hoped it was quicker than. Those four seconds make a big difference when considering the times of the competition and cars with similar price tags that have been tested over the years.

In the Supra specific write up, they go as far as saying that they can't attribute the difference to just suspension tuning (I'm no expert so I'll let others comment on that). However, it does note that a minimal amount of shifting is required over the length of the track.

Well there is a lot of better traction and suspension tuning in the latest version.

one click off in a competent track driver makes a 2 sec difference even on moderate tracks

as much as we like it the Supra isn’t built as a track car first. It is a super competent track car and punches well above its price

GM and Ford are big enough and sell a ton more sports cars that they can (god bless them) build Mach1 and 1Le!! In addition to the road going versions.

as a track rat the 1le suspension is kind of black magic. It is amazing and impressive. For the Supra to match that you have to spend 10k on after market components.

the genius from Toyota is partnering w BMW to make it affordable and thinking ahead to a design that can be modded and improved on IF you want to be a track rat.

great video from a 1le ss at summit where he and I battled back and forth and were about even I beat him out in TT by .5 secs
But he had the better suspension and brakes mine was stock. Both had mild aero. About the same hp back then but I had better low end torque. He weighed just a bit more but also had wider tires.

 

[Joker328]

My takeaway is the M6 is significantly quicker, despite popular opinion.



2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0, 2:55.6 (M6)

2021 Toyota Supra 3.0 Premium, 2:59.3

2020 Toyota Supra Premium, 3:01.4

To me the outlier here is probably the 2021 time, not the 2023 MT. Given the extra power, you would expect it to be a few seconds quicker than the 2020 over a long track like VIR. I wonder if conditions/driver might have hurt it that year.

 

[AJRMKV]

Different driver this time around. He seems to be setting more than 1 best lap per car

 

[FLtrackdays]

Well there is a lot of better traction and suspension tuning in the latest version.

one click off in a competent track driver makes a 2 sec difference even on moderate tracks

as much as we like it the Supra isn’t built as a track car first. It is a super competent track car and punches well above its price

GM and Ford are big enough and sell a ton more sports cars that they can (god bless them) build Mach1 and 1Le!! In addition to the road going versions.

as a track rat the 1le suspension is kind of black magic. It is amazing and impressive. For the Supra to match that you have to spend 10k on after market components.

the genius from Toyota is partnering w BMW to make it affordable and thinking ahead to a design that can be modded and improved on IF you want to be a track rat.

great video from a 1le ss at summit where he and I battled back and forth and were about even I beat him out in TT by .5 secs
But he had the better suspension and brakes mine was stock. Both had mild aero. About the same hp back then but I had better low end torque. He weighed just a bit more but also had wider tires.

Do you mind sharing your times at VIR Rock, being your home track? I’ve seen your videos (can’t remember your exact times). But great driving 4sho ? What do you think is a good time for the Supra at VIR compared to the 2:55 stock Supra in the article? I know just some better tires and negative camber would do wonders to that time!

When I was track car shopping, you are absolutely right about setting up your suspension. I think we’re going to do that in any car we buy. Few other things I actually looked at were articles lIke this, saw how many Supras were on the track, talked to owners that tracked (and remember seeing your videos), price, weight, horsepower, and the free track day may sound silly but it told me Toyota was willing to put their cars out there.

For a stock car, at this price point, it’s pretty impressive imo. Hence, here I am. Tracking the shit out of my Supra with a giant grin on my face. Icing on the cake is when a fellow track rats in a Porsche or Vette comes up and asks, “Is that a Supra?” - the torque is amazing in these cars! I think that catches a lot of people off guard for sure, assuming they will blast by you in the straights. Even though this is the heaviest car I’ve personally tracked on a regular basis (not just lighting lap style like these articles), I’ll be damned…. she can hug the corners almost as good as those MX5s out there ?. What car and driver doesn’t want to do that?!? Guess I’m still in the honeymoon phase . I’ll find more flaws. Gimme a few years, like you….

 

[Rocksandblues]

Do you mind sharing your times at VIR Rock, being your home track? I’ve seen your videos (can’t remember your exact times). But great driving 4sho ? What do you think is a good time for the Supra at VIR compared to the 2:55 stock Supra in the article? I know just some better tires and negative camber would do wonders to that time!

When I was track car shopping, you are absolutely right about setting up your suspension. I think we’re going to do that in any car we buy. Few other things I actually looked at were articles lIke this, saw how many Supras were on the track, talked to owners that tracked (and remember seeing your videos), price, weight, horsepower, and the free track day may sound silly but it told me Toyota was willing to put their cars out there.

For a stock car, at this price point, it’s pretty impressive imo. Hence, here I am. Tracking the shit out of my Supra with a giant grin on my face. Icing on the cake is when a fellow track rats in a Porsche or Vette comes up and asks, “Is that a Supra?” - the torque is amazing in these cars! I think that catches a lot of people off guard for sure, assuming they will blast by you in the straights. Even though this is the heaviest car I’ve personally tracked on a regular basis (not just lighting lap style like these articles), I’ll be damned…. she can hug the corners almost as good as those MX5s out there ?. What car and driver doesn’t want to do that?!? Guess I’m still in the honeymoon phase . I’ll find more flaws. Gimme a few years, like you….

My home track is Dominion raceway in VA

link: Dominion Raceway | Virginia Motorsports | Nascar Racing | Entertainment Venue

pretty cool little venue with a circle track and concerts and our 2mile road track runs around outside of the facilities.


VIR has 3 configurations: The Grand Course is all the configurations all togther and is about 5 miles i think. R&T loves it because they say it is the closest to Neurenberg here in the US

I have NOT gotten to run that course.... yet! It ties up the whole facility so they don't run it often...

The North course is the smallest course- i am scheduled to run that March4

The Full Course is the "main" and most common configuration.
I have gone 2:08 on that without real aero and stock suspension. It is a pretty good time for a weekend warrior and the car has 2:05 in her.... the Driver (cough cough) needs more balls at 10 and more skill through the hog pen.


edit: VIR is ranked 5th or 6th best road track in US for a reason. It is Nirvana and def worth a trip. fwiw
The layout and turns are incredibly laid out and thought up and the videos do NOTHING to relay the amazing elevation changes. It is thrilling, challenging and engaging all at once.

 

[FLtrackdays]

My home track is Dominion raceway in VA

link: Dominion Raceway | Virginia Motorsports | Nascar Racing | Entertainment Venue

pretty cool little venue with a circle track and concerts and our 2mile road track runs around outside of the facilities.


VIR has 3 configurations: The Grand Course is all the configurations all togther and is about 5 miles i think. R&T loves it because they say it is the closest to Neurenberg here in the US

I have NOT gotten to run that course.... yet! It ties up the whole facility so they don't run it often...

The North course is the smallest course- i am scheduled to run that March4

The Full Course is the "main" and most common configuration.
I have gone 2:08 on that without real aero and stock suspension. It is a pretty good time for a weekend warrior and the car has 2:05 in her.... the Driver (cough cough) needs more balls at 10 and more skill through the hog pen.


edit: VIR is ranked 5th or 6th best road track in US for a reason. It is Nirvana and def worth a trip. fwiw
The layout and turns are incredibly laid out and thought up and the videos do NOTHING to relay the amazing elevation changes. It is thrilling, challenging and engaging all at once.

That’s awesome! I was really hoping you and they ran the same course. To prove my theory that the Supra is way faster with some mods. We all know any car will be faster with a few mods. But my bet is that some cars are even better than others with said few mods - hence the times I’m getting at Sebring and Homestead (not even fully setup yet). I would suspect the Supra running sub 2:50s pretty easily compared to a stock one on that Grand Course at VIR. So, for the money…. Damn I’m diggin this Supra ?

If money were no object: Hello Porsche GT4 ?? coming in at 3053 lbs ? I’ll try not to even think about the cost of consumables for that car, so I can keep dreaming, lol.

 

[ZokiSpeed]

First of all: It's wonderful that you have such reading material and that such tests are carried out at all. In the EU there is the same: Only with fuel-saving tests A whole magazine about Ad-blue and cats and OPF, MOT... Not a single track-test.
But one of the main points of criticism remains: Those times are not comparable. Cup2's at the Honda, Pilot Sport 4S at the M240i. At best, it is sufficient for a rough classification. I also understand that this is about the factory condition, but i am 100% sure the 240i xDrive could have done better, the Subaru too...
To back this up: 1.06g's with 265' Cup2's and it's the second best FWD value in the test? It makes me at least a little doubtful...

But: Great to see our supra's price/performance ratio. Great car. As always. (At least most of the time ?...)

 

[FLtrackdays]

First of all: It's wonderful that you have such reading material and that such tests are carried out at all. In the EU there is the same: Only with fuel-saving tests A whole magazine about Ad-blue and cats and OPF, MOT... Not a single track-test.
But one of the main points of criticism remains: Those times are not comparable. Cup2's at the Honda, Pilot Sport 4S at the M240i. At best, it is sufficient for a rough classification. I also understand that this is about the factory condition, but i am 100% sure the 240i xDrive could have done better, the Subaru too...
To back this up: 1.06g's with 265' Cup2's and it's the second best FWD value in the test? It makes me at least a little doubtful...

But: Great to see our supra's price/performance ratio. Great car. As always. (At least most of the time ?...)

Yeah can you detect the touch of sarcasm in my keystrokes…. Not all things being equal by any means. Including track conditions when comparing to other days/years they do this. But it does sell magazines.

And you’re not alone, Greta is watching us over here too. Just not that far. Yet….

That would be a stellar idea to at least put all the same tires on the cars! But that makes too much sense…. And some people want to know how the cars do straight out of the box. So I get it

 

[razorlab]

Different driver, 40* ambient, repaved sections of track, some sections are wider.

Comparing times from before is impossible. Any track guy knows the manual isn’t magically almost 4 secs faster. Take the emotion out and think logically.

People believe what they want to believe.

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