Quote:
Originally Posted by DGthe3
Sure, they could go to multiple tracks for testing, but renting out several tracks costs more than simply going to the 'ring.
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Yeah, but I think the tracks you will find stateside will give you a better indication of how a car really stacks up once the owner has it in their hands. In the end my big issue with the Ring is the super high average speeds you see cars running there, it skews the numbers in favor of cars with a lot of top end which means folks are likely to be surprised at the results they see at the vast majority of tracks which typically don't see such high average speeds.
The old 289 and 427 Cobra's were the perfect example, their brick-like aerodynamics meant they didn't have much to offer past the 150mph mark, which made them terrible performers at the Ring. On the vast majority of tracks in the US however, the Cobra was going to take the same cars that had recently left it for dead at the Ring and have it's way with them more often than not.
The emphasis on really high speeds is just exagerated at the Ring IMO. And for me, that makes it a less than stellar testbed if the point is to find out how a car stacks up to other cars. From a manufacturer's perspective it's easy to see how those high speeds add stress to the mechnicals and reveal any issues you may with with brake cooling, etc., so I do get the appeal to the automakers as a developmental testbed. I just don't completely get the emphasis on times because there are factors at work there which don't really apply as across the board as some might think.