Mercedes-AMG says its GT Black Series has set the fastest lap of the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife by a standard and unmodified production car, with a time of 6 minutes, 43.616 seconds for the 12.8-mile circuit. For good measure, Mercedes-AMG said the car was timed at 6:48.047 on the 12.944-mile “total track.”
GT3 racer Maro Engel was the driver for the record-setting lap in the 720-horsepower supercar that Mercedes-AMG says its GT Black Series has set the fastest lap of the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife by a standard and unmodified production car, features sophisticated aerodynamics such as a front carbon fiber splitter that extends in “Race” mode and with rear wing blades in their middle position.
The car ran with camber in the maximum position of negative 3.8 degrees in front and negative 3.0 degrees at the rear. The 9-position traction control was set between 6 and 7, depending on the section of the track where the car was running.
“Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series customers can also take advantage of all these settings andadjustment possibilities,” the company noted.
The lap was done on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tires with “soft compound,” the standard equipment for the car.
“That was a really impressive ride,” Engel was quoted.”With speeds of up to almost 168 mph in the Kesselchen section of the track and well over 186 mph on the long Döttinger Höhe straight, the AMG GT Black Series is significantly faster than my GT3 race car.
“To finally drive around the Nordschleife in 6:48.047 minutes with a production road car in these track conditions is really awesome. Like my GT3 race car, the AMG GT Black Series offers a lot of adjustment possibilities, all of which enabled me to create a setup that was tailor-made for me.
Driver and car
“It’s really impressive how much downforce the Black Series generates and how confident and reliably it can be driven, even at the absolute limit.”
Mercedes AMG noted that the outside temperature was 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit and that some sections of the track in the late afternoon run were “not totally dry.” It added that the lap times were “measured by neutral experts from “wige Solutions,” an independent notary which also certified the condition of the vehicle.
Here’s a weird one. Earlier this week the Porsche shown here was spied testing at the Nurburgring. It looks pretty much like a regular 992 Carrera 4S but it’s sitting much higher on its suspension and has weird fender flare wheel arches. In the spy video below from StateSideSuperCars, this oddball 992 is powersliding all over the place, jumping curbs, and generally hauling butt. Judging by the sound of its exhaust the car is turbocharged, though that’s hardly a surprise as all 992 models are currently turbocharged (at least until the next gen GT3 hits the real world). So what is this thing? Is Porsche capitalizing on the Safari market by selling one straight from the factory? Is the company going to try to regain its Dakar championship?
It’s far more likely that this is just Porsche testing some oddball suspension setups to see what its car does under extreme circumstances, but if Porsche does want to introduce an off-road sports car, this would hardly be the first time. Porsche has decades of experience in rally and raid-style off-road racing. Think back to 1968 and Porsche pressed the 911 into rally service with Vic Elford winning the Monte Carlo Rally that year. Not to mention the company’s several Dakar and East Africa Safari Rally successes.
Safari silliness has taken the Porsche world by storm, kicked off by friend of the site Leh Keen’s Safari cars, plus dozens of others built by the likes of Kelly Moss Motorsports, the two LuftAutos, and more. And don’t forget that Gemballa and Ruf have both teased extreme modern off-roading 911s. Would it really be that much of a surprise that Porsche offered a safari 992? I don’t think it would. The only thing that surprises me is that Porsche didn’t do this five years ago.
British Motor Show will use ‘pop-up’ mini shows to create interest in its big show scheduled for August 2021 | Show photo
Not only have concours d’elegance and other major collector car events been smacked by the coronavirus pandemic, so have the major new-car auto shows. They’ve been canceled and rescheduled, and pretty much shaken to their very foundations.
Just one example is the North American International Auto Show in downtown Detroit. Postponed, and then canceled, and then moved, and recently rescheduled, this time because of a calendar conflict with the LA show, which has become more popular because while Detroit is the Motor City, Los Angeles is, well, SoCal and Hollywood and glitz and glamor, and weather.
And it’s not just in the US that auto shows are scrambling for attention and viability. The British Motor Show has announced a series of Pop-Up shows to whet interest in its main event, scheduled for August 19-22, 2021.
The first of the Pop-Up events is taking place at Festival Place, a huge shopping mall and entertainment center in Basingstoke, an hour’s drive southwest of London, and runs into December 2020. Featured are new cars, classic cars, “retro electric” and the latest in EVs.
The showcase covers 6,000 square feet and includes driving simulators, a slot-car racing track, and a rotating display of vehicles. There also are experts on hand to answer questions about car buying and maintenance, and help for buying holiday gifts for the car enthusiasts on your shopping list.
The pop-ups are being presented as family focused, operating with social distancing and other precautions, and are free of admission charges.
“2020 has been a tough year for many people thanks to the unprecedented changes it has brought to their daily lives,” said Andy Entwistle, chief executive of the British Motor Show. “For car fans, all of the major automotive events were cancelled, including The British Motor Show 2020.
“But the show must go on, and with our first Pop-Up Motor Show we’ve developed a way in which people can still go to a car show, experience a great selection of cars both new and old, buy essential Christmas gifts for the car fan in their life and meet likeminded enthusiasts in a responsible manner as we build up to the big event next summer, when hopefully car shows will be back with a bang.”
The motor show plans a series of such pop-up events across the UK in 2021.
Which brings up the question: Might such pop-up events also be a way to promote the collector car hobby? Why not consider such events as a way to create interest in upcoming concours d’elegance or other automotive festivals?
This is Goodwood SpeedWeek
Running October 16-18 is the inaugural and reportedly once-in-a-lifetime Goodwood SpeedWeek, an event that promises to feature the best of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival, both canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, while adding in some new activities and attractions.
Because of ongoing health concerns, events will be offered via free internet live streaming on two Goodwood channels, one focused on the track and the other on entertainment. You can sign up for notifications on the Goodwood website.
F1 champ takes a spin in the ID.R
Nico Rosberg takes the record-setting Volkswagen ID.R around the Nurburging stadium circuit | VW Motorsports photos
Ready to go
Learning car’s nuances
One of the highlights of Goodwood’s SpeedWeek will be attempts to set break the lap record at the Goodwood racing circuit. Among the cars ready to try is the Volkswagen ID.R, the electric sports prototype that already has set a series of records around the world.
As the car was being readied for Goodwood, it was handed over to 2016 Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg for a few laps around the Grand Prix circuit on a rainy day at the Nurburgring. Since retiring from F1, Rosberg, 35, has become a champion of electric vehicles and is the founder of the sustainability-promoting Greentech Festival.
“It is a while since I have driven a real race car in the rain, but I immediately felt like a fish in water again in the ID.R.” Rosberg told VW.
“It feels fantastic to drive. The traction, the acceleration, the downforce – it was all very familiar,” added the racer who won 23 Grands Prix. “Compliments to the engineers at Volkswagen, who have done important pioneering work in the field of electromobility with the ID.R.
“Motorsport’s job is to change mobility as a whole,” he said. “It should be the test and development platform, in order to transport technology into production. That is exactly what has happened with the ID.R and the ID.3 (VW’s new electric family-sized vehicle). I could even imagine getting an ID.3 for my family.”
“We are delighted that Nico wanted to test our ID.R,” said Sven Smeets, VW’s motorsports director. “The fact that our electric racer put a smile on the face of a Formula 1 world champion is great feedback and underlines the fact that electromobility can create a lot of fascination and emotion.”
Goodguys announce 2021 schedule
Goodguys visit WestWorld of Scottsdale twice each year | Goodguys photo
The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has announced its 2021 car show calendar, which includes a new fall event at Del Mar, California. The inaugural So-Cal Nationals are scheduled for October 1-3 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds near San Diego and will feature a Volkswagen showcase, classic 4×4 off-road vehicles, a vintage-trailer exhibit and a SoCal-themed automotive art gallery.
The other major change to the schedule is the Nashville Nationals moving from mid-June to May 28-30.
Here is the Goodguys’ 2021 schedule:
March 12-14 — Lone Star Nationals, Fort Worth TX
March 19-21 — Spring Nationals, Scottsdale AZ
March 27-28 — All American Get-Together, Pleasanton CA
April 9-11 — Del Mar Nationals, Del Mar CA
April 23-25 — North Carolina Nationals, Raleigh NC
Mary 21-23 — Salt Lake Nationals, Salt Lake City UT
May 28-30 — Nashville Nationals, Nashville TN
June 5-6 — Summer Get-Together, Pleasanton CA
July 2-4 — Heartland Nationals, Des Moines IA
July 9-11 — Goodguys Nationals, Columbus OH
July7 23-25 — Pacific Northwest Nationals, Puyallup WA
August 13-15 — Great Northwest Nationals, Spokane WA
August 20-22 — Great American Nationals, York PA
August 27-29 — West Coast Nationals, Pleasanton CA
September 10-12 — Colorado Nationals, Loveland CO
September 24-26 — Lone Star Nationals, Fort Worth TX
October 1-3 — So-Cal Nationals, Del Mar CA
November 13-14 — Autumn Get-Together, Pleasanton CA
November 19-21 — Southwest Nationals, Scottsdale AZ
Fall car show calendar
October 16-18 — Goodwood SpeedWeek, Keels & Wheels, Lake Mirror Concours d’Elegance (Florida), Mid-American Street Rod Nationals (Missouri), Astin Mansion (Texas), Off-Road Expo and Sand Sports (Arizona)
October 19-23 — AACA Central Divisional Tour (Oklahoma)
October 23-25 — Charlotte Auto Fair
October 30-November 1 — Copperstate 1000 vintage rally car show, Western Street Rod Nationals (Bakersfield, California), Rennsport Collective (England)
A little over ten years ago, Marc Basseng took the Carrera GT around the Nurburgring. A man with victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona, Bathurst 12 Hour, and the 24 Hours Nürburgring took Porsche’s then-flagship around the ‘Ring in 7:28.71, and now a four-door sedan is within spitting distance of that time.
We’ve been awaiting a truly fast Panamera since rumors of a specialized “Lion” version began circulating in 2019. Last week, Lars Kern strapped in to a partially disguised Panamera and rounded the ‘Ring in 7:29.81—a new record in the “executive cars” category. A supple, sophisticated, spacious cruiser just over a second slower than the V10-powered hypercar from fifteen years ago boggles the mind.
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Initially, anyways. The drastic improvements in lap times can be attributed to two general areas of development. First: tires were the greatest limiting factor twelve years ago, and this model has had a special set of Michelins made for it. The other: body control has made heavyweights like the Panamera and Cayenne capable of belying their weight in surreal ways.
“The enhancements made to the chassis and the powertrain of the new Panamera were always noticeable during this lap on what is recognized as the most demanding race track in the world,” says Kern. “In the Hatzenbach or also Bergwerk and Kesselchen sections in particular, the new setup of the electromechanical roll stabilization system remains consistently effective and provides the Panamera with incredible stability in spite of the bumpy track surface. At the Schwedenkreuz, the car benefited from the improved lateral dynamics and the increased grip of the new Michelin sports tires. I achieved cornering speeds there that I would not have believed possible with the Panamera,” he elaborates.
Kern, a development driver responsible for the sub-seven minute blitzes in the GT2 RS and GT2 RS MR, understands the impact Porsche’s latest chassis refinements have had on performance.
Porsche’s been particularly cagey about the specifics of this Panamera, but what is known is that it was fitted with active anti-roll bars, a racing seat, and a rollcage. In addition to the bump in grunt mentioned below (this particular car may have more than 700 horsepower), this record-setting Panamera wore a set of tailor-made set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires which will optionally available after the vehicle’s launch.
It may be pushing two tons, but the way Porsche’s engineers cleverly mask heft with torque and traction means this kind of performance isn’t incomprehensible. The right combination of a predictable sedan and a daring driver (one who’s able to make an admiring Chris Harris guffaw like a schoolboy) makes it a little easier to look past the generous proportions of Porsche’s greatest-ever ‘Ring taxi.
