Now we've seen some interesting races before, but this is something new: the Team Australia Speed Comparison, to be held in conjunction with the Lexmark Indy 300 later this month in Australia, will pit a MINI against a Porsche and a Champ Car.
The John Cooper Works MINI Cooper S packs a supercharged 1.6-liter four with 210 hp and runs 0-60 in 6.6 seconds; the 400-hp Porsche 911 GT3 reaches 60 in 3.2 seconds; and the Champ Car, packing a 750-hp Cosworth V8, will hit it in a cant 2.2 seconds. Sounds like a fight about as fair as David and Goliath, with The Rock thrown in for good measure.
Of course it's not a straight-up race, or anybody could predict the outcome – it's a single-lap handicap race: the MINI will head out first, followed by the Porsche and then the Champ Car. The starts are timed according to the car's capabilities so that, technically, all three cars should cross the finish line at the same time.
Gentlemen, start your engines!
[Source: Auto Racing Daily]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott Wylie @ Oct 6th 2006 12:16PM
There was a promotional video a few years ago with a similar test with Mercedes. An A Class, I think some AMG 55 engined machine and David Coulthard driving a McLaren MB F1 race car.
jeff @ Oct 6th 2006 12:33PM
This seems somewhat on the pointless side doesn't it? If the race is handicapped it isn't really proving which car is better. Especially over a one lap interval. I am probably just missing the point of this though.
Si @ Oct 6th 2006 12:45PM
I remember Jeremy Clarkson doing something similar with a Ford Cougar *shudder*, a Focus WRC car driven by Colin McRae and an F1 car (I forget which one and who was driving). It was timed pretty perfectly with Clarkson winning up to the last corner at which point the WRC just drive rounf the outside with the F1 car driving round the outside of that. 3 cars going into the final corner at the same time. It really demonstrated just how far ahead the F1 car is.
Josh Wardell @ Oct 6th 2006 1:15PM
I hope they don't rely on those numbers. The JCW MINI was rated 6.4 sec by C&D years ago, and since then gearing, injectors, and intake have been upgraded so it should be even quicker. Perhaps the other cars are also statistically handicapped.
Jamie @ Oct 6th 2006 1:57PM
Sounds like a good bit of honest fun. Many of us have probably played in a Cooper S, few of us get to go in GT3s & I guess only talented Americans get to Champ it up. I think its a brilliant idea to get some context between 'normal' cars and the fast stuff - not just in terms of performance - but also in terms to the implied skill of the drivers!
ME @ Oct 6th 2006 2:26PM
Yep, and this was done back in the late 80's with an Escort, a 928, and a TAG F1 car driven by Nikki Lauda.
Dan from Delaware @ Oct 6th 2006 3:09PM
Here's Fiat vs. Ferrari vs. Ferrari F1, with a young Schumy in the F1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAvHGktrgME
J Ray @ Oct 6th 2006 4:49PM
Now we can handicap the special olympics with the normal olympics and see who really is the best athletes in the world
Spaceweasel @ Oct 6th 2006 7:15PM
Dan, you beat me to it. It's a very cool clip. I had really enjoyed the disparate sense of speed from the three italian cars. I imagine this will be much the same.
Grajeda @ Oct 7th 2006 8:28PM
and you beat me too spaceweasel