Posting car tests is more fun than playing the actual game.

Recently, we compared some mid-level sports cars and varied small compacts/semi-sports. Today we test out cars with a lot more power than the last two batches. Our test cars range in price from about 85-145k USD.

Same test setup. Every car is stock, automatic transmission, took the best time out of 5 laps, midfield raceway track, used a racing wheel. I decided to replace the Cien with the M5 because the Cien is hardly a real market car.

Mid-field raceway

Car	Power	Cost	Best Lap Time
Ford GT ’05	558 hp	$149,880	1’16.600
BMW M5 ’05	499 hp	$116,650	1’19.842
Dodge Viper SRT-10 (’03)	507 hp	$84,880	1’20.776

Viper
The new Viper has very strange styling compared to the older GTS. Many Viper fans are disappointed. Although possibly bad on the outside, the new Viper has better braking and other features.

All that said, the thing still handles like crap. It’s a great car for the price. But it starts a ‘weave shimmy’ at high speeds. What I mean is, it jerks to the left, then it jerks to the right. With the right situation, a 360 wipeout could happen.

I raced against the 350Z ghost car and blew by it the 1st lap even though I slammed into the wall on turn #1 (the brakes don’t cut it). I mean, at the finish line the 350Z is traveling at about 130mph where the Viper is running closer to 150mph. No contest. An impressive ride with loads of power.

Ford GT
I didn’t expect such a car from Ford. I know they have Ford Racing. I know they have SVT. Everyone is so excited about the Cobra and the Mustang GT. I drove a ’96 Mustang GT 5.0 and I was very unimpressed. It drives like a truck and has a squishy stick/throw. Handling was poor. A real sled. I was taken by surprise when I took the Ford GT out. The GT is in a completely different class than any consumer car Ford has made before. It’s super low. It sticks to the ground. It sounds like a harley at low RPMs. It’s a race car and you know it.

The GT blows by the Viper on the straightaways but is very hard to drive. I hit gravel miserably many times even though I know this track very well. I had to brake well before the Viper braking points. When I hit my best lap though, I was 5 seconds ahead. GT hitting 170mph at the end of the straight-away where the Viper hits low 160s. Very impressive car.

M5
The M5 has class, refinement and an impressive heritage. All completely useless in a video game. Let’s see if it can beat the Titans.

Beat the Viper, couldn’t catch the GT. The braking is far superior to both cars. The M5 would easily pass the GT in the corners only to lose in the open track. Couldn’t hit 150mph, just not enough power there. Surprising.

Nissan R92
Had to humble the Ford GT. Here’s 1158HP looking at you, nimble as a cat. What Ford. What.

Yes, of course it’s expensive. But … the results speak for themselves.

Mid-field raceway

Car	Power	Cost	Best Lap Time
Nissan R92 Race Car	1158 hp	$4 million	’57.830

Just sick. Hitting 223mph on the straightaway easy. The car goes where you want. There’s no sliding, there’s no consumer feel. You are in an inverted airplane, pressed to the ground. I was talking curves at 150mph, unloading to 100mph so easy. Acceleration is an afterthought. “Oh, was that 200mph?”

A whole other class. Good race.