Should There Be a Standard for Measuring Nürburgring Lap Times?

Jim Glickenhaus Claims His SCG003 Street-Legal Supercar Is Capable of a 6:30 Nürburgring Lap

After the recent claims Lamborghini made about the Huracan Performante taking the Nürburgring lap record for a street-legal supercar, there was a bit of grumbling going on in the industry. Some folks who know the Nordschleife intimately made noise about the lap time being faked. Some said the video evidence had been doctored. But at the Geneva auto show earlier this month, Lamborghini handed a full-lap telemetry over to the media. And that, it seems, was that.

Except not everyone is happy. The problem is that manufacturers like Lamborghini and Porsche will go to the Nürburgring during a private test day, when they’ve rented out the entire track. Then they run lap after lap to perfectly set up their cars for the most optimal run, in an attempt to set the new record.

There’s also the matter of non-standard equipment. Lamborghini admitted to using special, non-standard racing tires. And often cars are fitted with roll cages or similar devices, providing performance benefits above and beyond the purpose of safety.

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So Jim Glickenhaus wants to see a non-partisan adjudicator on hand to confirm the veracity of manufacturer claims. Above and beyond that, he believes there should be a single annual event, which he’s tentatively calling the “Road Cup.” Every manufacturer could attend in an attempt to set their fast lap. This would level the playing field. It would allow for the same weather conditions and the same track conditions. And it would be a way for judges to confirm that all parts on the cars are the same as those available to customers.

Such an event would be an amazing proposition. The world’s greatest cars and manufacturers could go head-to-head on the world’s preeminent proving grounds. Glickenhaus knows that his SCG003 racing car is capable of lap times in the 6:20 range. And he claims the more powerful and more aerodynamically efficient road-going 003S will manage the lap just 10-seconds slower. That claimed 6:30 lap is some 22-seconds faster than the Lamborghini’s.

Set a date for this Road Cup, Jim, we’ll be there.

Via [MotorAuthority, Motor1, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus Facebook]