Ah, lap times. We don’t judge cars based on their speed around a circuit, but it gives us a yardstick by which to measure their performance.
We expected, for example, the Lotus Exige S to be the fastest car around Bedford’s (damp-patched) West circuit by a mile, but because of a gearshift unfit to grace a Raleigh Chopper, it wasn’t.
For fairness, to limit the wear on the heavier, more powerful cars, and so we could get through them all in consistent conditions, each car got the same treatment: an out lap, two fliers, and an in lap.
The time quoted is the quickest. Beyond the Lotus, any other surprises? Not a lot. The Cayman’s wonderful balance let it go quicker than a 911. The RS4 is a frankly astonishing piece of kit.
And the GT86 is proof that speed does not necessarily correlate with fun.
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Irrelevant test?
So 30% of the test field is a Porsche of some description, and most of the other cars aren't even the best drivers cars in their class? I'd suggest that even on a sampling level the mix isn't quite right, added to an overt bias towards German machinery this test seems to be more a case of the Best Drivers Car we happened to have in the car park this week...
Carbon Aluminium, V12, Speed?
V12, front engine rear box, aluminium chassis carbon fibre body, one would think the Vanquish would at least make an impression on the time sheets yet it could not even match the RS4. I guess testers had too much fun at the Nurburgring. Its not exactly Continental R type of car. I'm still in love with the DB9 though, what a looker