'Lambo's ring record is amazing but the driver's the star'
evo Comment - Dan Prosser thinks Lamborghini's new record is impressive, but remember to spare a thought for the incredible driver
The problem with this Nurburgring lap time lark is that it’s almost completely unregulated, so it’s hard to know exactly how comparable the lap times really are. Manufacturers use different drivers, the track conditions and ambient temperatures are never constant and, of course, we simply have to trust that the manufacturer in question is being completely straightforward and honest with us.
I’m not suggesting Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini or any of the others have been in any way deceitful. Actually, I happen to trust them completely. Perhaps I’m being naïve. But even I wondered for a moment at the veracity of the Huracan Performante’s lap time. It is outrageously fast.
> Lamborghini Huracan Performante breaks Nurburgring lap record
We don’t know a great deal about the Performante’s technical specification for the time being, but with a normally aspirated V10 it’s safe to say it’ll be way down on power compared to the Porsche 918 Spyder, the car whose title it has pinched by a massive five seconds. I can only think it’s down to some ungodly cornering speed (I’d love to compare the minimum apex speeds for the two cars).
Or perhaps Marco Mapelli was the difference. He’s an Italian GT3 racer who finished second overall at the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2015 driving an Audi R8 LMS. He’s the prodigiously talented hand who set the eye-popping 6min 59sec lap in the Aventador SV a little while ago.
I remember watching Mapelli drift a tatty V8 M3 around Pirelli’s wet handling course at its Vizzola test track. There’s precisely zero run off on that circuit, but Mapelli linked every corner with inch-perfect, expertly held powerslides, while carrying more speed than I thought possible. It was a stunning display of car control and raw driving ability.
Impressive though the Performante undoubtedly is in that video, the real star for me is the bloke behind the wheel.
What do you think about the Lamborghini Huracan Performante's 'Ring exploits? Let us know in the comments?
