Okay folks, this 'Ring Thing is just getting plain silly, as Nissan has now taken a X-Trail Fuel-Cell to the curcuit. So I guess they can now claim to have both one of the fastest cars to lap the "Ring (GT-R: 7:29) and one of the slowest (X-Trail Fuel-Cell: 11:58).
Actually, the more I think about it, I think we should allow more really slow vehicles to have 'Ring lap braggin' rights. I say we (or someone) take the following vehicles to this famous circuit to cut some hot laps: The ever so-smart Smart; the hero of East Bloc countries, the Trabant; the in-production-for-over-a-half-century 2-wheeled Honda Cub; and a Tata Nano is certainly a no-brainer (nano-brainer?).
...And why stop with motor vehicles? How about the Kentucky Derby winner? Certainly a marathon runner should be allowed to do track time. Better still--Edmund's.com, lead by Editor in Chief Karl Brauer, could put together a 'Ring tag-team of joggers, dog walkers, bicyclists, skateboarders, wheelchair-bound and sub-10-year olds. Yeah! That's the ticket!
Here's Inside Line's take: Nissan X-Trail Fuel-Cell Vehicle Hits the 'Ring
Karl Brauer says:
10:34 AM, 07/24/08
Assuming I can use a Segway, I'm all over this!
kurtamaxxxguy says:
11:35 AM, 07/24/08
The folks managing that furshingluggner N-ring must be laughing all the way to the bank thanks to all the hype piled on it.
As for Trabant and Smart lapping it -- YES !!
Other recomendations to bring this ring thing back to reality are:
1. Yugo (pick any one of 'em)
2. Citeron C-2V (ze est Ugleeeee)
3. VW Beetle 1300
4. Kia / Ford Aspire
5. Suzuki Swift
6. Original DeLorean (not "BTTF" version).
7. Edmunds' favorite Go-cart competition racer
8. Segway
9. Trimuph Spitfire
10. Razor scooter
crowb says:
12:47 PM, 07/24/08
Great post, Bob.
What about someone wearing those wheelie shoes? That would be a good one. Maybe a unicycle too.
estreka says:
01:54 PM, 07/24/08
That is the fastest fuel cell vehicle I have ever seen.
Bring on the Caravan! Where's James when you need him...
'"If the course hadn't been so wet, I could have gotten more momentum out of the curves," he said. "Thirty to 40 seconds could have been shaved off for sure."'
lol
huyracing says:
02:50 PM, 07/24/08
haha, i ran a prius on the ring (on Gran Turismo 4) and it ran out of battery half way through.
carlisimo says:
01:17 PM, 07/25/08
I can't help but think of the Ford Transit work van (w/ 138hp diesel engine) that Sabine Schmidt drove around the 'ring in just over 10 minutes... (in the dry)
greenpony says:
09:26 AM, 07/28/08
Riding lawnmower. Roller blades. RC car.