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View Full Version : Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record smashed!



chris g
01-10-2005, 07:46 AM
OK, you saw Clarkson on Top Gear do a 9.59 there in Jag diesel whilst Sabine in the Ring Taxi regularly does 8.15 with three passengers.......

......well now Radical have done a pretty good production car lap time

One the world’s most prestigious production car records was obliterated yesterday (28/9/05) by Michael Vergers in Radical’s extraordinary SR8. In road legal trim and riding on Dunlop Direnza tyres he lapped the infamous 13-mile Nordschleife circuit in just 6 minutes 55 seconds, knocking a massive 20 seconds off the previous best!

Radical have held the record before when Phil Bennett scorched around the loop in a Radical SR3 Turbo back in 2003, but such is the importance of the record, it soon came under attack from Europe’s biggest manufacturers and engine tuners. However none have got close the magic seven minute barrier. Until now, that is.

A suitably delighted Michael Vergers exclaimed that he still felt there was more to come. “We didn’t have a great deal of time to set the car up for the run and due to the weather closing, in I only really had one crack at it,” he said. “Even on that lap I had to drive around the outside of a Mercedes coming onto the main straight, so there’s plenty more to come. The car is awesome, carrying unbelievable speed through the high speed turns - if we had fitted slick tyres we could knocked more than 30 seconds off this time.”

The Radical SR8 is powered by a 2.6-litre high-revving V8 engine, built in-house by Powertec, developing 360bhp. It generates enough downforce to be able to theoretically drive upside down and holds the outright lap record at Cadwell Park (the UK’s mini-Nurburgring) and has been winning sportscar races around the world since the launch in January this year. For 2006, the SR8 will be the star of the all-new 'Great & British' Motorsport Festivals, visiting all the best UK circuits.

psbarham
01-10-2005, 07:49 AM
/JawDroppi /JawDroppi /JawDroppi /JawDroppi /JawDroppi

HJM
01-10-2005, 09:27 AM
Pretty impressive stuff - Simon might struggle to take one, even at Combe /Hmmm

When are you coming back Chris :inquisiti - you really have to make the Easter pilgrimage /Steeringw and buy a car :happy: - how are the NZ roads and your MR2 ?

chris g
01-10-2005, 11:11 AM
Hi HJM

It's a really good lap although such things depend on traffic/conditions and co-operation from others but indicates that the Radical is a really sorted car

Should be back for an Easter Ring trip - car is unknown at this time

MR2 is a fun car to have and some of roads here are lovely twisty things where handling and decent speed combine for a great experience - no straight line pleasures for me

Have done a track day with MR2 and 7G Galant Sports GT at a rain soaked Pukekohe where 4WD and turbo were great but had to be more cautious in the MR2

Will be selling MR2 here but may bring Galant home to UK so may take another VR-4 to the Ring at Easter but the 7G model this time

Will not know about car until next year when we finalise return to the UK

See you at the Ring? - HJM - Spirit - Simon - Jimbo - others ?

Might get a chance to drive you around on a lap and show you how I enjoy the place

Chris

ps already booked my hotel room!

HJM
01-10-2005, 01:15 PM
Might get a chance to drive you around on a lap and show you how I enjoy the place

Chris

ps already booked my hotel room!


Look forward to it Chris - we have booked our hotel too :thumbsup:

Jimbo
01-10-2005, 02:21 PM
If anybody is interested, Phil Bennett was posting a while back on the PistonHeads forum about his SR3 run and also the Donkervort run that beat his time.

The SR3 run was never actually officially acknowledged for some reason, so it would be interesting to see if this amazing SR8 lap is.

On Chris' post, the comment the driver made about doing the lap 30s quicker on slicks is all pretty academic really as it wouldn't then be a road-legal car, however the Donkervoort time was done on curious looking grooved slicks.....and that was an officially recognised time!?! Politics, bah!

Looking forward to seeing you at Easter CG, and you're more than welcome to do a guest appearance at the wheel of an 8G.

Spirit
01-10-2005, 09:51 PM
Great new if you can join us Chris........and now officially just 6 months away ! Hopefully this will give me time to sort the remaining issues from RT2 :embarasse

Anyhow, step 1 is complete....stealth camera and recording equipment is live....indeed there may be some footage posted up here tomorrow :drummer:

ANTHONY
01-10-2005, 09:52 PM
sounds like you lot need a season ticket for the ring

HJM
01-10-2005, 10:00 PM
sounds like you lot need a season ticket for the ring

Oh no they don't /pan

J

Spirit
01-10-2005, 10:06 PM
sounds like you lot need a season ticket for the ring

Season ticket ????? I plan on retiring there mate :evil2:

What a great way to spend ones retirement, sod golf and all that malarky......just hope it's still open then though :inquisiti

chris g
02-10-2005, 08:06 AM
I've had a season tkt for the last four years!

And Pete,what are the issues from RT2?

I sent a PM to you about your experiences but no reply - was it such an issue that you could not bear to speak of the experience?

If poss you can send your full report to me by PM or to hotmail address

Anyway I will see you at Easter!

Chris

Spirit
02-10-2005, 08:10 AM
Hi Chris

Sorry mate, I don't recall seeing your PM :embarasse I wouldn't have ignored it on purpose mate.

There were no issues in running at RT2, just subsequent issues with the car.....abs fault, ayc fault, new discs etc etc......still working through the list now.

Currently the abs/ayc issue should be sorted (got to test drive her today to confirm), new discs will be ordered in the next few weeks, and she is going in for a front end respray this week (black car and stonechips are not a good combo)

chris g
02-10-2005, 08:15 AM
The big disc kit has worn out?

So how was it for you at the Nurburgring Nordschleife?

Spirit
02-10-2005, 08:40 AM
The big disc kit has worn out?

So how was it for you at the Nurburgring Nordschleife?

Yes mate, too many track days :evil2:

It's not so bad though....two new discs are £350 so I can live with that :thumbsup:

The Ring was 'kin awesome and loved every minute of the adrenaline rush.

The mixture of emotions from nervous excitement, jubilation when you get a sequence of corners spot on, panic as a motorbike blasts past, to simple relief at emerging in one piece the other end, all make for the trip of a lifetime /Steeringw

The Vee
02-10-2005, 10:37 AM
See you at the Ring? - HJM - Spirit - Simon - Jimbo - others ?



Chris

!

Others? That'll be me then! /pan
Good to hear from you C, look forward to Easter, oh yes booked in as well. Now who was it that said, nah this place ain't addictive !!

Jimbo
02-10-2005, 03:12 PM
Now who was it that said, nah this place ain't addictive !!

/lol Amazing to think we're obsessed with going round what is just a big 13 mile circle. 2 gallons of petrol (or 0.2 for you AL :thumbsup: ), 130 mph for 9 or 10 minutes, and we only end up back where we started /Hmmm

Again! Again! Again!

chris g
02-10-2005, 07:33 PM
Sorry Vee, did not remember who went on your trip(s) but will be good to see all of you next Easter

After a year away from the place I will be a little rusty but a few laps I should feel back at home again

Are we all booked into the Motorsport Hotel and who is actually confirmed or a possible, a probable or a maybe?

The Vee
03-10-2005, 12:21 AM
Jimbo, yep, sad but true :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Chris, defo be there

HJM
03-10-2005, 07:05 AM
Easter will include all of the previous CVR4 visitors + the 'Usual Suspects' :scholar: + others who have already shown an interest on here - I reckon realistically 10 cars (a few won't be VR4's /help )

Not sure I want to come out for a lap with you Chris - I still remember feeling sick as a dog :sick: /Fever after that 25 minute session at Donnington :rolleyes4 - what great fun (remember the sliding red MR2 /Steeringw ) and such a useful lesson for me /yes

Roll on Easter /Steeringw /Steeringw /Steeringw

chris g
03-10-2005, 07:27 AM
Well it will be good to se quite a few VR-4's out there and other CVR4 people whatever car they drive

From what I hear I am not certain if there will be enough rooms at the inn for all of them

How many are booked already at a hotel? Motorsport

I am prob organising a group rate for ferries if people interested - can email me for details of how we usually work it

And yes it was great fun at Donny - luv that 4 wheel drifting and powering thru bends that are soaking - oh the memories, distant memories

Bring it on at the Ring!

And it will b worth it, I think, if you can force yourself toget into the passengers seat, partic if it's raining or track is wet

More fun than you can shake a stick at!!

Jimbo
03-10-2005, 01:07 PM
And it will b worth it, I think, if you can force yourself toget into the passengers seat, partic if it's raining or track is wet

More fun than you can shake a stick at!!

LOL Chris, no I think it's fair to say that H will NOT go passengering next Easter /lol His passenger trips are legendary !!

On RT2 we had a fun incident in the wet where I was Heath's passenger and it was one that definitely warranted the shaking of a stick, as skilled a recovery as Heath performed /yes Anyway, no offence to H here, but I daren't allow myself to think of the result had the occupants of the front seats been reversed at that point.....fairly certain it would have involved a lots of cleaning products and some industrial strength deorderiser! /lol /lol

I know what you mean about the msport rooms.....but I fully expect that the CVR4 peeps will be spread out in different places what with Easter being so busy. The RT2 people all booked up at MSport when we checked-out last time.

Oh and I think we'll deffo be interested in any ferry deals you find, but you've got strong competition to find a better deal that our own appointed bargain hunter, take a bow Jane........£69 for seacat last time out :thumbsup:

chris g
08-10-2005, 01:52 AM
OK, so we have deal finders amongst our ranks

I am enquiring about a group booking through an agent we have used before on Ring trips

At least 11 cars in our group plus maybe the 10 or so from CVR4

Could be quite a good discount for group booking - 21 cars - and quite a convoy from Calais to the Ring

We are booking for :

Hoverspeed outbound on Thursday 13th April at 06:45, returning Tuesday 18th April 16:45

We may have a detour for Thursday en route to the Ring - a destination, anothe 'Ring further south in Germany - so CVR4 may end up at hotel(s) without the group of 10 that I have mentioned above

But a group booking for ferry may be worth going for, so I am enquiring for 10/20 cars and as soon as price known will give details here

And HJM can still see what deals available from her efforts

Chris

Jimbo
10-10-2005, 10:31 PM
We may have a detour for Thursday en route to the Ring - a destination, anothe 'Ring further south in Germany

Do tell! Hockenheim?? If so, try not to fall asleep on those long straights!



But a group booking for ferry may be worth going for, so I am enquiring for 10/20 cars and as soon as price known will give details here

Thanks Chris, much appreciated. The more options the better :thumbsup:

chris g
11-10-2005, 11:01 AM
They have changed HockenheimRing and AFAIK any cars that did venture there would have a twistier track to play on

A quiet Thursday evening there would complete a trilogy-

Nurburgring Nordschleife - A1-Ring - HockenheimRing

And perhaps HungaroRing with EasyTrack in 2006 also

HJM
12-10-2005, 07:28 AM
OK, so we have deal finders amongst our ranks

I am enquiring about a group booking through an agent we have used before on Ring trips

At least 11 cars in our group plus maybe the 10 or so from CVR4

Could be quite a good discount for group booking - 21 cars - and quite a convoy from Calais to the Ring

We are booking for :

Hoverspeed outbound on Thursday 13th April at 06:45, returning Tuesday 18th April 16:45

We may have a detour for Thursday en route to the Ring - a destination, anothe 'Ring further south in Germany - so CVR4 may end up at hotel(s) without the group of 10 that I have mentioned above

But a group booking for ferry may be worth going for, so I am enquiring for 10/20 cars and as soon as price known will give details here

And HJM can still see what deals available from her efforts

Chris

Hi Chris

I am booking our crossing today - we don't want to go as early as you, although will be coming back on the same ferry.

I am booking with P&O direct - no great savings - but only £75 all the same /yes

Mind you, I have only received details of 3 cars, so you may have some of the others joining you :inquisiti

J

chris g
12-10-2005, 08:25 AM
Thats a good deal anyway

Re others who are interested - if people do not get in touch soon then I will be booking also and any group deal will only be available for those who have contacted me

Any news about names for definite/possible/probable/last minute decision people?

See you at Easter

Chris

chris g
13-10-2005, 10:34 AM
So which days are people travelling?

HJM
13-10-2005, 10:54 AM
We are on the 09.45 13th April and returning on the 17.45 18th April - all booked now /yes

See you there :thumbsup: