Built for Speed : The latest cycle of Car and Driver’s annual Lightning Lap — an event intended to get a car’s performance on a challenging 4.1-mile Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway — saw 13 production cars representing a huge spectrum of price points. The cheapest car of the year was the $35,320
Hyundai Elantra N, while the most expensive was the $729,458 Lamborghini Revuelto, whose cost was more than 20 times that of the Elantra. As we compared lap times and prices that set the parameters for the LL1–LL5 classes, a few of us decided to spec our ideal version from this year’s track-car roster.
I’m no Lightning Lapper
, but in the few ave Fluidfaster I’ve driven on a racetrack, there’s only one that really made an impact on me: the ND Mazda Miata. Sim sure, at 181 hp, it’s not the quickest way to get around a racetrack. However, that’s also why it’s one of, if not the best, way to learn how to drive properly on track. Likewise, solid steering, a communicative, forgiving chassis, wonderful balance, and a curb weight of under 2500 pounds certainly doesn’t hurt either.
For ultimate driving enjoyment
I spec’d the Club trim with its unbalanced limited-slip diff. The $4900 Brembo BBS Recaro package was a no-brainer add for eponymous reasons. And as for color, I’ll rather viciously contend that Mazda’s Soul Red is the best color in the business (catch me a few beer deep and I might go on at length about quantifying and qualifying that statement), but as you may guess, my 10th Anniversary Edition NB Miata, I miss dearly. But in tribute, I chose Deep Crystal Blue Mica (and saved myself $595).
To protect that paint a little more, I added front and rear splash guards ($180 each). From experience with the NB, I can tell you that an overhead light isn’t sufficient to see what you’ve dropped. The $380 footwell illumination kit ought to take care of that — and add a little more understated style in the process. And while a two-seater convertible can never be particularly practical, the $60 cargo net and $225 Weather package’s floor liners and cargo tray make the Miata a tad more usable.
Eric Stafford’s 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (LL3)
Cadillac’s ultimate four-door is a living legend. And, since the life expectancy for a V-8-powered new car with three pedals may not be much longer than the 2:47.9 lap it turned at this year’s event, the CT5-V Blackwing sits atop my wish list. That impressive time came courtesy of a car with the $18,000 Precision package, which includes carbon-ceramic brakes, grippier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires — and a host of other suspension upgrades that helped make it 1.5 seconds quicker around VIR than a version we already lapped without it. I appreciate that Cadillac tried to turn the CT5 into an even further legend on a track, but I’d save that dough and have my Blackwing be a great everyday driver that eats more expensive sports cars’ lunch on occasional track days.
I’m a green-paint guy, and the Caddy’s optional Typhoon Metallic is my kind of color. It’s also just $625 on increment, but I think it looks great paired with the $1,500 bronze 19-inch wheels (matching brake calipers are an additional $595, but they complete the look). The CT5’s face looks better before CT5’s recent refresh, I think, but the interior greatly benefits from the new 33-inch dashboard display. This isn’t because I prefer digital gauges over analog — if anything, I’m against that — but the pre-facelifted car came with a digitized instrument panel anyway, and the overall dash layout did seem a bit dated. He said it was better now, more cohesive. The only choice I would opt for inside would be the $8090 black-and-tan colour scheme. It had more supportive competition front seats, nicer leather and more of the nicer leather. It is still a luxury sedan, after all.
Since I’m buying the standard six-speed manual and can’t therefore option the hands-free Super Cruise system, which would’ve cost me another $5875 as well, I’m not even mad. Instead, I would opt for the $1600 PDR to track and plot my lap times. That’s it. My perfect CT5-V Blackwing totals $109,900. Not too shabby for a 668-hp four-door with rear-wheel drive and a back seat that won’t make my in-laws feel as if I’m trying to punish them. It might take a few glorious full-throttle runs for them to take the hint, though.