thats a disappointing lap time at hockenheim. no way around that but i think sto is designed to be more involving drivers car than out right speed car. anyone know what tires it had?
Disappointing for sure, but so was the 765LT time by the same tester. We all know how bananas the 765LT is.
Disappointing lap time, maybe (I would hardly know), but it’s “only” 640 hp which can’t compare to some of the turbo monsters. And it’s a light car, so I wonder how effective that advertised downforce is in providing grip (unless Aunt Tillie rides along, lol). Heck, did Lamborghini ever post their times at Nurburgring? A case of unrealistic expectations by the general public perhaps? Speaking on my own behalf, I fully anticipate an awesome driver’s experience. For the type of driving I enjoy, fun takes precedence over fast. I’m not ashamed to say my 458 is fun (though a Speciale would be funner).
AWD compared to RWD , which Lamborghini simply does not execute nearly as well as McLaren and Ferrari combined with weight to power ratio which puts them significantly behind McLaren and still but less so compared to Ferrari.
No disagreement about P/W, cannot opine on execution of RWD differences. We’ll see. May take a bit before I know the car well enough to properly put it through its paces. Part of the reason I like the 458 is it gives a bit of warning before it’s about to bite (like my Amazon parrot, not much but he does).
Surprised to hear that Lambo with access to the resources and experience of the VWAG group doesn’t execute RWD well. Where has this deficiency been reported? I thought the Evo RWD had been receiving high praise?
From my Balboni to the 580-2 to the EVO RWD , all are thrilling and exciting to drive compared to their AWD counterparts but they all suffer from spin at launch and are skittish during hard cornering at high speeds. All of them necessitated reduced HP compared to the AWD in order to cope with the reduction in overall grip. The STO is the sole exception to power reduction and it would be surprising if the compromise inherent to Lamborghini RWD cars will not result is slower track times compared to the competition.
I don't know if lap times will impact STO sales though. Most Lamborghini owners don't care about lap times because they buy a Lambo for the badge, looks and status symbol. Ask an average SVJ or Performante owner about the ring records and either they won't know or care.
"rinse and repeat" - exactly the same story with the 765LT on its first track outing (may have even been with the same driver (not sure)). Setup was not ideal and track was not ideal. Patients peeps as we all know how the 765LT turned out..
I know and I cared. I drive my Lambos on all venues including the track. While times in and of themselves is not the primary or only metric to base a purchase decision, track results are often an indication of a cars’ overall performance, and capabilities. Even for those who will never track their car, it is reassuring to know your car is competitive with other super cars when pushed to the limit .
You're probably in the minority. During the Perf unveiling in LA I would say 75% of the potential buyers in the room only cared about the looks and the forged carbon, in fact most of them skipped the technical briefing even though the car had set the lap record. Same thing back in 2018 during the SVJ unveiling at Quail. Majority of buyers were more interested in the look of the car and it look "crazy" enough than the lap record. Maybe it's market dependant but in my opinion the typical Lambo owner is very different compared to owners of brands like Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche who actually care about lap records and heritage.
I can only speak for myself. Appearance certainly is a salient component of a super car but for me it represents the gateway to the entrance of the super car experience. The essential ingredient is the driving dynamics and it must create chills running up and down my spine, induce a rush of adrenaline, get my heart a pumping, and connects me to the car in a way that it feels hardwired to my senses. If it does not, I move on.
nowhere in here does it say lap-times are important . Seems that issue doesn't rate too high on most peoples requirements as long as it performs within acceptable boundaries
Not surprised the 992 GT3 performed better. I've been on track with a few older ones in my 240Z and thought they are much more nimble cars compared to Lamborghini. I personally didn't believe it would beat the BS or GT2RS but purchased anyway because its the last of its kind and the drama it delivers will outweigh its deficiencies.
Id agree with this. Lambo buyers are more about the badge and status than having concerns with track times or leaderboard positions. Personally im not at all surprised with StOs track time and think its pretty good all things considering. I actually thought it was amusing reading how some were holding the candle out that it was going to beat the current competition. It was never going to happen - just look at the competition fgs. Lambos have always been more about theatre and drama. These STO’s will spend most their time parked in glass garages after their first run and few will see much racetrack time if any. I only need look at past and present usage patterns of those who own to see this reality. So why would that situation suddenly change now? Its also an expensive car to beat on, much is the case with other high cost track focused exotics which is why most owners use their hardy Porsche as their main track tool.
Thats because track times are important! Track times are essentially a measure of a cars engineering advancements and signal a superiority over a direct competitor. This is precisely why they are produced. Once a car of this nature proceeds to a certain pricepoint a superior track time is an important measure in many ways. If it wasn’t then why do manufacturers even bother having their car timed? You wont see toyota circuit timing a new toyota camry at hockenheim or the nurburgring and using it as a marketing tool With Lambo they can only work with what they have and, they know their customers are very much badge and status focused, and love the attention more than anything else. So on that score they appear to have succeeded. More bells, whistles, and brighter color combos along with a better time over the lesser priced and less attention getting variants secure the job as “done”!
Oddly for a car that is more about theatre and drama. Lamborghini has two cars (SVJ/Performante) in the top ten fastest times at the Nürburgring ring. I don't see McLaren or Ferrari anywhere in that list and I do see Mercedes (AMG GT BS) and Porsche (GT2 RS) as well. Some scoff at Nürburgring lap times. To me it is the ultimate proving ground for a car's mettle because so much is thrown at the car over the course of the almost thirteen miles. McLaren and Ferrari are the ones who always make excuses as to why they don't partake in it. I find that very peculiar.
To be honest the lambos sharp angles look better then some of its competition that don’t look like anything ..special. .
I couldn't agree more that the NR time in many ways holds a very strong sway given the purpose of these cars. The only issue with SVJ was that it couldn't replicate its brilliance above the competitors it claimed to beat at the NR on other circuits, and issues such as poor brakes/brake fade and the likes were commonly reported. So it makes you wonder what car they actually used at the NR because there were no such issues occuring there. Added to this the SVJ was unable to beat the Gt2 on any other circuit from what times i've seen so far and on most occasions the hardy and mighty GT2 beat it considerably. This may also account for why Porsche went back to the NR with Manthey racing to set the record properly straight.
Looks are subjective but with Lambo it's always been a very showy car - easy to see that. However the body was not built around the driver as ergonomically it only fits short people and even then has visibility issues. A good design accommodates for the driver first and foremost. A Ferrari is an absolute ergonomic dream in comparison, the Mclaren even better again. So this serves to prove an attractive exotic shape can be provided with far less compromise to the actual operator.
Other tracks are irrelevant to most consumers. Whether they be shorter, faster, slower, more curves or whatever. Think of them as seasonal football games and the Nürburgring like the Super Bowl. You win there and your immortalized forever and that's what people remember and compare other cars to.
Absolutely. It's an endurance time trial more than anything else which is a better fit for these types of cars given they are driven in a wider range of driving environments rather than a short 4 to 5 km lap sprint. Claiming a fast lap time is one thing but being able to run the car lap after lap without wearing out expensive components is far more impressive.....and relevant.
