Classic supercars - Maxed Out

[Bo_apex]

Can these top speeds be right ?? most from Yatabe which closed in 2005.

Countach QV - .......................181.6 (one direction @Nardo, referenced)
Testarossa - ..........................180 (some obscure magazine run, 1 direction 177.2 timed)
928 GTS - .............................176 (170 run avg Nardo 24hrs +3scrub +3 avg factor)
512 BB - ...............................176
928 S4 ..................................175 (Bonneville 172 +3 salt traction/stability) 4,200ft elev.
Ferrari 360 CS........................174.5 (one direction @Yatabe)
Daytona - ..............................174
Lambo Gallardo E-gear...........172.7 (yatabe)
Lambo Miura S - ....................172
2004 Porsche 996 GT3CS........172 (yatabe)
AM V8 - ..(1987).....................170
928S2 - .................................166 (161 run avg Nardo 24hrs+3scrub +3 avg factor)
Ferrari 360 Modena................165.5 (yatabe)
BMW M3 CSL..........................164 (yatabe)
Acura NSX-R ..........................164 (yatabe)
87' 911 Turbo ........................162
Lotus Espirit - ........................152
Detomaso Pantera..................150

[belleair302]

Which ones do you think are incorrect and how were these obtained.....fifth wheel, timing trap and clearly not via GPS? Most look pretty realistic but top speed depends upon so many varying factors not just weight, condition of road surface, headwind / tailwind and tuning of the car....

[Davo456gt]

Nardo is a very rough surface, and is a bowl, so you add a few mph for both on a typical motorway type surface

Makes the Countach QV even quicker !

think Fast Lane magazine (now defunct) had one at 195mph timed on a german autobahn.

[EpsomJames]

Clearly some of them are wrong, Gallardo and F360s for starters.

[Bo_apex]

Circuit has banking which is accelerated through so assume exit speeds caught at end of following straight. Definitely more real world than say a drag strip.

To my mind the 360 CS should be quicker. Apparently the Countach rear wing was removed as slows it down.

928 seems impressive. Daytona seems about right, but wouldn't like to rely on its standard brakes if needing to stop urgently at that speed

[thegreenhell]

Is Yatabe where they filmed some of the old Best Motoring tests? I seem to remember that the straight wasn't that long, hence some of the speeds recorded there being low as the cars weren't able to reach a true vmax. IIRC the Fast Lane mag test of the Countach QV had a 190 mph two-way average on the autobahn.

[Johnnyforeigner]

thegreenhell said:

Is Yatabe where they filmed some of the old Best Motoring tests? I seem to remember that the straight wasn't that long, hence some of the speeds recorded there being low as the cars weren't able to reach a true vmax. IIRC the Fast Lane mag test of the Countach QV had a 190 mph two-way average on the autobahn.

Interesting reading.
From memory, even Fast Lane themselves acknowledged a generous margin for error in their test in that article, a passenger using a watch to time the car between km markers.

[Bo_apex]

thegreenhell said:

Is Yatabe where they filmed some of the old Best Motoring tests? I seem to remember that the straight wasn't that long, hence some of the speeds recorded there being low as the cars weren't able to reach a true vmax. IIRC the Fast Lane mag test of the Countach QV had a 190 mph two-way average on the autobahn.

Yes that's it, apparently drivers could accelerate hard through the banking giving some real world pitch and elevation change. No reason to doubt the Countach QV hitting 190 on a flat autobahn, was that with a rear wing attached ? Stumbled upon some insightful Countach feedback from Stirling Moss in this magazine

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=tdgDAAAAMBAJ&a...

[rich888]

Bo_apex said:

thegreenhell said:

Is Yatabe where they filmed some of the old Best Motoring tests? I seem to remember that the straight wasn't that long, hence some of the speeds recorded there being low as the cars weren't able to reach a true vmax. IIRC the Fast Lane mag test of the Countach QV had a 190 mph two-way average on the autobahn.

Yes that's it, apparently drivers could accelerate hard through the banking giving some real world pitch and elevation change. No reason to doubt the Countach QV hitting 190 on a flat autobahn, was that with a rear wing attached ? Stumbled upon some insightful Countach feedback from Stirling Moss in this magazine

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=tdgDAAAAMBAJ&a...

Thanks for the link and what a fantastic read, though not too sure that Stirling was overly impressed with the Countach in terms of comfort, but that's not the reason why you buy a Countach is it. Must admit that the Countach is certainly stunning even when parked up and the start-up sequence lifts the hairs on the back of my neck. Just wished I owned one.

He did heap praise on the Porsche 928 with some very positive comments made about its driveability. I'm fortunate enough to own a 928 S4 and have no reason to doubt the speeds achieved because it is just so well composed at high speeds. It was made for the autobahn.

[Bo_apex]

Rich888, I hear you. I was just about to buy a G50 911 on the Thursday afternoon having put down a deposit, but by pure chance test drove a 928. I cancelled the 911.
Met an ex-employee of Lancaster last week, who happens to own a 6R4. He said whenever they had a quiet Sunday during the 80's they would always choose the 928 for a blast. Apparently it was the most planted amongst their stock when pushing on, including the Testarossas.

[Davey S2]

201 for a Diablo that was tested by either Autocar or Car when they were new.

[tony h]

ive seen 180 + on my old cs at bruntingthorpe and rob Hudson has an infamous pic where he's off the clock in his old one !

[williamp]

great list but missing some top trumps "specials" from the 80s:

288GTO
F40
959
Vantage Zagato
Lister Jaguar XJS
Sledgehammer Corvette
AMG Hammer

[thegreenhell]

Davey S2 said:

201 for a Diablo that was tested by either Autocar or Car when they were new.

That was Autocar, when they took the then new Diablo to the German Autobahn with performance driving instructor John Lyon.

[thegreenhell]

williamp said:

great list but missing some top trumps "specials" from the 80s:

288GTO
F40
959
Vantage Zagato
Lister Jaguar XJS
Sledgehammer Corvette
AMG Hammer

The test shown below was jointly conducted by Road & Track, Motor and one of the German mags at VW's Ehra-Lessien test track. Sadly my copy of Motor is out of reach and I cannot recall the results.

[Bo_apex]

So the Analogue cars look like this:

Diablo -…………………………201
Countach QV - .......................181.6 (one direction @Nardo, referenced)
Testarossa - ..........................180 (some obscure magazine run, 1 direction 177.2 timed)
928 GTS - .............................176 (170 run avg Nardo 24hrs +3scrub +3 avg factor)
512 BB - ...............................176
928 S4 ..................................175 (Bonneville 172 +3 salt traction/stability) 4,200ft elev.
Daytona - ..............................174
Lambo Miura S - ....................172
AM V8 - ..(1987).....................170
928 S2 - .................................166 (161 run avg Nardo 24hrs+3scrub +3 avg factor)
Acura NSX-R ..........................164 (yatabe)
87' 911 Turbo ........................162
Lotus Espirit - ........................152
Detomaso Pantera..................150

Any more ?

[RichardM5]

As you have the Porsche 928 GTS in there, which was an early 90's car, you should include these :

Ferrari F40 (1987-1992) .... 201.4 mph
Jaguar XJ220 (1992-1994) .... 217 mph
McLaren F1 (1992-1998) .... 240 mph

Going back in time a little, how about

BMW M1 (1979-1981) .... 163 mph

[Bo_apex]

RichardM5 said:

As you have the Porsche 928 GTS in there, which was an early 90's car, you should include these :

Ferrari F40 (1987-1992) .... 201.4 mph
Jaguar XJ220 (1992-1994) .... 217 mph
McLaren F1 (1992-1998) .... 240 mph

Going back in time a little, how about

BMW M1 (1979-1981) .... 163 mph

Good shout - and all would qualify as analogue including the McLaren

[Adam B]

Bo_apex said:

Yes that's it, apparently drivers could accelerate hard through the banking giving some real world pitch and elevation change. No reason to doubt the Countach QV hitting 190 on a flat autobahn, was that with a rear wing attached ?

no wing attached, remember the magazine well even though I must have been 14/15 when it came out

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTcy/$(KGrHqF,!j...

[Adam B]

in fact buy it here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FAST-LANE-CAR-MAGAZINE-9...