Wonder how something like a GT-R would handle that.
It would be a laughing stock compared to a WRC spec machine with more power.
Wonder how something like a GT-R would handle that.
It would be a laughing stock compared to a WRC spec machine with more power.
People said the same about 100,110,120 and 130mph laps on bikes.
Higgins is already 10mph faster than he was last year, and unlike the bikes there are no regulations to limit development of the car so I don't think 140mph is beyond the bounds of possibility.
Have you ever seen the track? And I don't mean on TV where it's smoothed out.
Ive been around the track in a car.
It's taken the bikes 9 years to get from 130 to 133, and some of that is down to course changes.
9 years of mainly small tweaks and tyre and suspension improvements as the development is limited by regulations. They can't decide to bolt on a turbo, or use a 1600cc engine if they want to.
There's nothing to stop the car going faster but money and driver skill.
So here is the full in car video which is quite fascinating....
First thing that struck me is that this car is geared for a maximum of 175mph it seems, so losing 30mph on many of the longer stretches to the fastest bikes. It is also not accelerating anywhere close to bike pace so again losing massively. Having seen this it has made me feel even more confident that the right car built for the job would be lapping over 140mph.
Well worth a watch, epic bravery but really opportunity to find lots of time I think.
Another 300bhp and longer ratios and that'd be very close to the bike times. As Higgins himself says in the video the TT is not like a normal circuit where a car will always be faster, due to the straights and sweeping corners where there's not going to be much difference in cornering speed between a car and a bike.
Don't forget most of the bike lap records are from a standing start, Dunlop this year did 133.369 mph on his first lap.
The car was doing 150 mph when the timer started, would be interesting to see what time the car would do from a standing start.
It had 600bhp
Don't forget bikes have been optimised for this circuit and ran around if for decades. This is 1 manufacturer, not even building the ultimate TT car, but simply taking their main road car and making it go as well as they can. I agree a standard start would help to equalise it, but a single seat hill climb car would get to 150mph in around 8 seconds or less so not sure that element would have much impact. Remove weight, add aero, power and braking as well as even bigger cornering and you have a significant opportunity to take time off, especially with those big long flat out bits.