How do car magazines test cars?

As far as 0-60 and 1/4 mile numbers go, they warm up the tires and use a prepared (super sticky) surface.
So: a) you won't be able to reproduce them on the street (you will be slower)
b) you will risk tires and a clutch if you try
c) you will need 100's of attempts to get in the ball park

On the other hand, lap times round various courses tend to be more representative or real car performance potential;
with the exception that the driver may change the lap time by more than 20 seconds
so: a) Randy Pobst will still beat you by 10-20 seconds per lap
b) he will set a great time in 1/4 the number of laps it will take you
c) he will not wear the tires as much as you do in your attempts

Certain car manufactures send cars to these tests which have motors that dynoed at the north end of the stated power,
Wear tires a grade of two softer than the street tires you may have on your car, perfectly balanced, maybe a shade small on the solling diameter,
Often with higher spec brake pads than the street car for track use,
...

So, in the end it does not mater what numbers the magazines print, you will not be able to achieve them.

 

Many years ago - like maybe the late 60's when the pony car wars were a thing - I remember a comparison test between a Z28 and a Boss 302. Can't remember which but one of them was a ringer with basically non production everything including tires which seemingly didn't exist in the public domain. The Car & Driver editorial staff (maybe Yates?) called them out in a very public and embarrassing way. Of course, that's back when journalists were still journalists and C & D was still interesting and readable.

 

Are you sure he'd want you mentioning his name in conjunction with this ? It wasnt said in confidence ?

 

Journalism suffered a stroke on 9/11 then died with social media. Sensationalism is the only way to make money when you can't sell print, people are desensitized to reason, and will ignore the sane in favor of more interesting whackos. You see this with car media's move to YouTube. It's one gimmick after another to try and penetrate the deluge of content.

We're through the looking glass of the Alternative Fact Era and there's no end in sight.

 

He's right.

I read them sometimes for entertainment, but never for reliable information.

 

Numbers are good to get an idea of what the vehicles are like....... for me they are not really that important. It is a ballpark figure. 0-60 in 10+ slow as hell..... between 7 and 8 getting nippy.... 5 to 6 quick under 4.... super fast and essentially not much real world difference/usability of that power.

 

one that "cheats" the most if Ferrari. This is the famous article by Chris Harris on Ferrari. he was banned a few years for testing Ferrari.
https://jalopnik.com/5760248/how-ferrari-spins

if you watch Randy Pobst does a test, manufacturers shows up with a team of engineers. fresh tires every session - the cars gets on track.
no, Randy Pobst is an awesome driver, he isn't 20 seconds faster than anyone that has been a track day.

 

Some run on a low tank of fuel, others with a full tank.

Some run with driver only, others two up.

Some lighten the car by removing spare wheel, tools etc, others run at stock weight.

In days past when most cars were manuals, shifts were done without lifting the throttle to get best times.

Some change up at redline, other over rev to better time.

 

If you are prepared to look, there are plenty of gems on YouTube.

A few -

Harry's Garage : Mr. EVO after all https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIB5XXHNAWWzTOw6guIMYCg

The Missenden Flyer, Motorbikes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-WMydmEO05u7gxlRRMpR-A

Davide Cironi : reviews plus wonderful interviews with Italian designers and engineers and he makes english subtitles https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsD9nSAjE6uq1EPYlCORS9w

4x Overland Andrew St Pierre White https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLL44RCPuw8XIslZBB8jf6A

Autogefühl, German in english https://www.youtube.com/user/autogefuehl

Many project channels :

Built by Many : Jaguar E type Restoration






Bad Obsession Motorsport, Mini build
https://www.youtube.com/user/badobsessionmsport

John Carey, Jaguar E Type restoration
https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnCarey1963Jag/videos

Aston 1936, Lots of Aston Martin DB9 projects
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA6ybjxT4EPuScdFwKvfrfw

Home built by Jeff, Porsche 911, Datsun 240Z, Alfa 105 and Beetle restoration
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_vb_SJctymCkwnF6sAwDg/featured

Steve's House of Speed, Rolls Royce Silver Cloud restoration
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIxaznmGm5lJ6wfTyGy3DPA/videos

And there are lots of unusual channels; Sir William Lyons grandson has one
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA4KS6Ghqkbd2sHCvV6M5SQ/videos

And some of the content aimed at children or just entertainment is high quality. Check out Goonzquad https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwO_xoYm2vjhu4kZSxFO5mA, and Seen Through Glass can be entertaining, plus he openly refers to himself as an "Influencer", not a journalist.

 

The only true journalist that I heard criticise the new Rolls Royce Phantom's ride quality was Harry Metcalfe. On YouTube.

Nearly everyone else, print or internet, used all the old cliches; riding on a cloud etc.

 

Certainly there are exceptions. Harry's garage is one.

And not all the gimmicky stuff is bad. I love Regular Car Reviews. Though, fair warning, it's pretty twisted (and NSFW).
https://www.youtube.com/user/RegularCars/videos

 

I don't pay much attention to the lap time type data in a car review/test. I want to read what the reviewer thinks and feels about the car. Build quality, ride, (performance of course), styling, comparisons to former and other brands similar models - all of that.
I found out that 0-100 etc don't make much difference to me when I jumped out of my 458 and into my gated 430. I could write my own review on my findings in that situation! 0-100 meant nothing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I think if you look at the same publication to compare cars you can count on the test being done in a similar manner between the two. Other than that you can probably find numbers in different magazines or reviews that vary quite a bit. When I'm looking up a car to see what kind of performance it might have I like to look for Motor trend, I just like the general format of their reviews. No idea how honest they are, but like I said if I compare one MT review to another it should have been set up similarly. But like others have said I wouldn't expect to probably get exactly the performance numbers they post with a car off the showroom floor.

 

1968 Car & Driver July

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1968 Mustang tunnel port 2x4bbl carburetors 302

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1968 Camaro Z/28 Cross-Ram intake manifold 2x4bbl carburetors 302

 

Sam Posey ...

 

Yup - that's the article! How cool that you were able to dive into the ether pool and find it. God, remember when articles were well written and engaging instead of the veneer of contemporary graphics that passes for a car mag nowadays? Used to be that I'd relish the monthly arrival of C&D and R&T and read them cover to cover nonstop - C&D a showcase of edgy social commentary and R&T refined with F1 correspondents like Rob Walker and Salon gatefolds by Phil Hill? Nowadays they're both so superficial that they get skimmed and put in the pile never to be finished.