Nurburgring In an Economy Car

Nightfall

This is nuts. 7:28.9 in an FWD EG Civic economy car with a 2.4L 4 banger. I get that this is mostly a Murica car forum but come on. How many Pontiac Sunfires or Chevy Cavaliers do you see on this level. It has to impress you at least a little bit. Or maybe not, and that's okay too. For reference...

Corvette C6 ZR1 7:26.4
Nissan GT-R 7:26.7
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 7:28
Corvette C8 7:29.9

Starts around 10:30 if you want to skip the bologna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rWe7GrU8G0

vmaxer

Impressive

F1nut

That was a ride.

Milito

Fast rice rocket! Not completely sure I believe his time even if his phone showed it. He driving lines weren't that great on some of the corners. Not an easy track to drive. It takes a while to learn that track with as many corners as there are in it.

I didn't hear the weight of the car, but it looked like he had taken a lot of weight out. Probably 2200 lbs give or take with 380 hp.

Also it sure looked like it was pushing in some of those corners being FWD and he had to slow down some.

Still a fast Civic.

xschop

First Civic I've seen that actually has a purpose for the over-sized wing.
Fast or not, you still don't want to be seen in one of these.

engtaz

modified interior, exhaust, computer, suspension, engine.

Nightfall

Some people love cars, some people love certain cars. A Pinto running the Ring that fast is incredible, maybe more so because it was never built to do anything of the sort. And obviously it's going to have to be modified to keep up with purpose built cars nearing $100,000 but it's still a Pinto chassis, Pinto suspension geometry, etc.

Jstas

I dunno, maybe I'm just one of those people that only loves certain cars but I'm not surprised of how capable a Pinto is on a race track.



They were known for being terrors on the track for not just class racing but in GT racing as well. So much so that there was a club level spec series based around the Pinto with 2000cc and 2300cc classes. That series was born out of the Formula Ford idea and British Touring Car racing to provide inexpensive competition not just for amateurs but smaller companies that didn't have factory works team budgets. It ran well in to the 2000's. I think it ended around 2005 or maybe it's still going, I'm not sure. I stopped following it so much when started working with a team running in NMRA events. But it was a quick, cheap and easy way to go fast, wheel to wheel on a track.

http://georgecallender.tripod.com/pintopageone.html

I mean, there was a massive aftermarket for it too. Big name suppliers were Cosworth, Esslinger Engineering, Racer Walsh, Race Engineering and Ford Motorsport. There's still a solid aftermarket out there, too. Everything from engines to suspension and drivetrain parts are still available. They aren't as cheap as they used to be but nothing is anymore.

So yeah, go ahead and rag on the Pinto chassis. It's probably won more races and championships than all of Honda combined. But, you know, I just love certain cars and it's just a Pinto, afterall. Not like it's a Chevy Monza or anything.

But hey, just sayin' here, if you see one on a track, maybe don't underestimate it 'cause there's that whole thing about those who forget history are doomed to repeat it but additionally, it's embarrassing when history hands you your aft regions on a silver platter and says "Better luck next time, kid!" Especially when it's "just a Pinto" that did it.

Nightfall

Where did that come from? I said incredible not just a Pinto.

Clipdat

Pintos are serious business apparently.

pitdogg2

Thank god no one ragged on the Maverick

My son just bought a 2016 Ford Focus ST. Straight from the factory with serious Ford racing parts. For a small car with 2 liter engine it's scary fast.

Clipdat

My uncle just bought a Fiesta ST.

motorhead43026

The Ken Block “Hoonigan Racing” Focus cars are fantastic.

Yeah, there is a ton of goodies available for these cars, fun stuff.

joecoulson

That's really impressive for a 2.4L
I bet lateral G's were off the charts.

OleBoot

Clipdat wrote: »

My uncle just bought a Fiesta ST.

I have on of those. Going on 5 years old now. Entertaining little car. The handling is unreal.

msg

Damn, that was fun. I caught myself holding my breath a little.

Sounded like he was airborne momentarily a few times coming over those peaks.

Makes me wonder what the suspension and steering linkage must be like on cars like this. With some of that steering at those speeds, there have to be some tremendous forces acting on those linkages. I kept thinking something was going to give.

I like BMWs, but noticed there sure were quite a few with their right blinkers on in that video
Drivers: Schiit! Schiit! Schiit! [that's German]
Then: What?!? That was a Civic?!?

Nightfall

Now we're discussing Ford's? ANOTHER thread brought down by organic conversation. Will you guys ever learn?

Milito

msg wrote: »

Damn, that was fun. I caught myself holding my breath a little.

Sounded like he was airborne momentarily a few times coming over those peaks.

Makes me wonder what the suspension and steering linkage must be like on cars like this. With some of that steering at those speeds, there have to be some tremendous forces acting on those linkages. I kept thinking something was going to give.

I like BMWs, but noticed there sure were quite a few with their right blinkers on in that video
Drivers: Schiit! Schiit! Schiit! [that's German]
Then: What?!? That was a Civic?!?

The last part of the track a few sections before the main straight you do get airborne in one section right before a right hand corner.

OleBoot

Nightfall wrote: »

Now we're discussing Ford's? ANOTHER thread brought down by organic conversation. Will you guys ever learn?

Wasn't it you that brought up the Pinto?

When I watched the video I thought about the sense of satisfaction the guy must have felt when the econobox he personally rebuilt pretty much from the ground up put in a supercar lap time. Wonder how much he's into it for? Could probably have got a used Z06 in the first place, but I guess it just wouldn't be the same.

audioluvr

Just watched the video. That's some serious driving there! I liked how when the speedometer went over 250 it would just flash zero

mantis

I'm a 1/4 mile kinda guy. All about the launch and getting the most out of your run.
I've been that way most of my life.
But My son loves these lap times and handling style cars and it got me liking it as well. I would love to go to one of the races and watch one live.
I'd also like to get a road sports car and rock that ring in Germany.

Milito

250 = a little over 155 mph.

mantis it's a track that can bite you if you don't know it. YouTube is full of videos of people wrecking their cars on it. It's a hell of a track. I would hate to drive it in the rain.

Nightfall

Milito wrote: »

It's a hell of a track.

The Green Hell

Milito

Yes

Clipdat

Nightfall wrote: »

Milito wrote: »

It's a hell of a track.

The Green Hell

I've driven it so many times in Gran Turismo 4, 5, and 6.

So. Many. Times.

Clipdat

And I actually mean "driven" in the sense that I was using these: