Results from Our 16th Lightning Lap Are Almost Here

The 16th running of our annual Lightning Lap is coming to an internet near you on February 7.This year we ran 17 different vehicles, including one convertible, one minivan, plus even one of our fleet-footed editors. Want to set your own times? Join us as we host a Lightning Lap–inspired track event on May 10 at Virginia International Raceway.

For 16 years, we’ve used Virginia International Raceway’s demanding 4.1-mile Grand Course loop as a rubric for measuring the overall performance of cars. In that time we’ve tested more than 300 vehicles; some of the highlights include the third Lexus LFA ever built, a chart-topping Mosler MT900S, and even a handful of police cruisers.

This year’s group answers some important questions. Curious how the new 670-hp Chevy Corvette Z06 or Honda Civic Type R fared? We’ve got answers. For those wondering how fast “regular” vehicles can lap, we ran our long-term Kia Carnival minivan. We even sent out one of our former track-star editors to see how long it takes to lap VIR on foot. There are plenty more questions answered—and video footage—when we post the full Lightning Lap package on February 7. If you got here via a QR-code link from the print issue, we’re sorry that we’re a little tardy getting the videos up, but those links will be restored when everything publishes on the 7th.

Your patience will be rewarded with onboard videos of the fastest lap times from each of this year’s 17 entrants. Those videos will also be made available on the Car and Driver YouTube channel and will include commentary by the editors who wrestled at the wheel to achieve the fastest laps. If you think you can do better, we suggest joining us on May 10 at VIR to compete for your own Lightning Lap glory.

Without giving away too much, we will say there were a few surprises. A compact performance SUV beat the times of some of our favorite hot hatches of the past. A new EV contender beat the last Tesla time by a landslide. Plus, the Z06 ended up in company with the quickest McLarens and Porsches we’ve ever run. And, uh, were you paying attention earlier when we mentioned we set a time in a minivan?

Michael Simari and Marc Urbano|Car and Driver

For the sake of drama, we’ve included a list of every car at this year’s running. If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve likely already spied on what we strapped the Racelogic timing gear onto back in October.

Meanwhile, last year’s Lightning Lap is worth checking out. The five classes (sorted by vehicles’ prices with options) have made for especially good banter among weekend warriors and professional armchair analysts alike.

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