davey l wrx Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Mark Higgins lapped the 37 mile isle of man TT course at an average speed of 113.505 mph today. hopefully some footage will surface soon, nice average speed for a family car! Link to comment
salsa-king Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 awesome, saw that hey were doing laps in the scoob, would be great to see some on board film footage of the whole lap. Link to comment
davey l wrx Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 From what i've read today that was just a test lap. He'll be trying when he does his proper laps on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The car is a 'slightly' modified US spec Impreza saloon (hatch with a boot). I'd expect Subaru to be pushing this by the end of the week with in car footage like they did for the Nurburgring tests of the new car. Link to comment
stum450n Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 From Evo Mag: One of the longest standing – and least likely – UK speed records has been comprehensively demolished. The car lap record for the Isle of Man TT Circuit had stood for 21 years, but yesterday rally veteran Mark Higgins smashed it in a Subaru Impreza WRX STI.Manxman Higgins posted a time of 19:56.7 for his first ‘demonstration lap’ of the 27.8-mile TT Course in what's described as a ‘lightly modified’ STI – translating into an average speed of 113mph. That’s over two minutes quicker than the record set by Tony Pond in 1990, when he set the first ever 100mph average lap using the somewhat improbable tool of a Rover 827 Vitesse. Higgins admitted he could have gone quicker, and the Subaru also suffered from brake fade towards the end of the lap. He averaged 124mph for the section between Douglas and Ramsey, and even at the top of the mountain section he was still on course for a 120mph lap. With further runs scheduled for Wednesday and Friday as part of the TT race week, expect the record to come down even further. Pond’s record stood for over 21 years in large part because more modern machinery wasn’t given the chance to challenge it – but it was still a remarkable piece of driving, the late rally star showing impressive commitment as he hustled his big Rover around the circuit. For reference, the fastest ever lap of the circuit is the bike record set by John McGuinness in 2009 on a Honda CBR1000RR racer, his time of 17:12.3 translating into an average speed of 131.5mph. Link to comment
salsa-king Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 must be breath taking to see, lets hope subaru have an on board camera Link to comment
stum450n Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 must be breath taking to see, lets hope subaru have an on board camera There's a camera on board I've been told with clips going online and a DVD being released as well. Link to comment
salsa-king Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 oooh, I'd have a DVd of that.. is it going to be bluray.. or 3D. Link to comment
t5nyw Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Mark Higgins lapped the 37 mile isle of man TT course at an average speed of 113.505 mph today. hopefully some footage will surface soon, nice average speed for a family car! It was in a saloon after all LOL Tony Link to comment
michael_jenkins Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Excellent! wondering if they'll show it on ITV4s TT coverage tonight? Link to comment
davey l wrx Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 Wasn't on last nights coverage! Then again it was just a practice lap! Maybe later in the week.. Link to comment
badbaz Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Some video clips on you tube And a short article with a pichere Link to comment
badbaz Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Wonder if he'd want to come on a Lanark Run?? Link to comment
scouk Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Yeow! that thing is really shifting!! not as quick as the bikes though Link to comment
badbaz Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Just listened to the radio interviews - decided he can't come on the Lanark Run as his brakes would never cope eh guys?? Link to comment
scouk Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 LOL! FYi - Highlights of Tony Pond's Lap in the Rover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6noOET7Eik Link to comment
BalliSTIc Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Would have been quicker in a hatch! *lol* Does look the biz though. Link to comment
i am the sti Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 mark higgins is a jammy get! that sounded awesome, i'd sell my kids to be able to do that!!!! Link to comment
stum450n Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 The long-standing road-car lap record for the Isle of Man TT circuit has been comprehensively smashed in a production-spec Subaru WRX STI saloon. In his very first run around the challenging 37.8-mile course, former British Rally Champion Mark Higgins posted a blistering lap time of 19 minutes and 56.7 seconds, translating to an average speed of 113mph. The peak speed achieved during the lap was 162mph. Higgins’ time is more than two minutes faster than the previous record, set by the late Tony Pond 21 years ago to the day (on 6 June 1990), at the wheel of an Rover 827 Vitesse. Pond was the first to break the average 100mph barrier in a road car, and his lap record has stood ever since. The TT event organisers gave Higgins just one lap to conduct his record attempt in the car, and there was no opportunity to carry out high speed practice runs. The WRX STI used for the record breaking run was a standard Subaru production car, equipped with a 300PS Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine, unmodified brake callipers and with road-legal Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres. Springs and dampers were adjusted to minimise any potential damage when the car encountering the various bumps and jumps at high speed along the course. In recognition of the speeds involved, and the fact that there are little or no crash barriers around most of the TT road circuit, the WRX STI was fitted with some essential safety enhancements. These included an MSA-specification T45 integrated roll cage, TRS race harnesses and a Lifeline extinguisher system. To help forewarn spectators of the presence of the oncoming car, the Subaru team also fitted the WRX STI with a high-decibel exhaust. “Setting the record was both the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done,” explains Higgins, whose career as a driver in the British and World Rally Championships hasn’t exactly been short of excitement. “The rules allow for a flying start, so I crossed the line at 125mph. I then went down through the Bray Hill junction – normally taken at around 20mph – at over 150mph. Once that tricky section was out of the way I settled into the lap and quickly got used to the balance and sheer pace of the car. “In the end the lap was simply fantastic, and the WRX STI behaved impeccably,” explains Higgins. “That we managed to set such an impressive time at our first attempt is a great tribute to the Subaru, especially given that so few modifications have been made. The engine pulled incredibly strongly throughout and the cornering capability proved crucial on such a twisty, unforgiving course.” The TT crowds got fully behind the record attempt, reports Higgins. “The atmosphere out on the circuit was incredible, especially once the spectators heard over the PA system that we were in the process of setting a new record. I could hear the cheers in the car and it really added to the experience.” The WRX STI is currently available from all Subaru dealers with free satellite navigation and a free power upgrade, taking the power output to a blistering 320PS – more than enough, no doubt, to break the Isle of Man record yet again. The outright lap record on the TT course was set in 2009 by John McGuinness on a Honda CBR1000RR ‘Fireblade’ motorcycle. McGuinness posted a time of 17 minutes and 12.3 seconds, equivalent to an average speed of 131mph. Link to comment
badbaz Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Holy lumpin ****! I bet his pants are for the bin now. This often happens to me - on GT5, rarely do I hold it though!! Hats off to the man, that would have been a massive crash And from inside watching the driver... Link to comment
scouk Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Wow! That's is some seriously scary sh**!! Bet he couldn't do that again!! Carrying incredible speed through that section.... Link to comment
bmwhere? Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Wow, that was very very lucky! Amazing car control! Link to comment
davey l wrx Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Clocked an average of over 115 mph and hit 162 on today's run. Nice one, wonder how many car makers will be trying to have a go at the new record next year! Link to comment
scouk Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Nice one, wonder how many car makers will be trying to have a go at the new record next year! Heh! If they watch those video clips I'd say only a small handful.. Audi, Subaru, Mistu, Porsche.. Why? 4wd.. How many 2wd cars do you reckon woudl have stayed on track in a 150mph tank slapper in the middle of a town! 115mph! good result.. Does he still have one more run to do or is that it? Link to comment
davey l wrx Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Think that could be it, though he was supposed to do 3 runs this week and I do believe he's only done 2. So he might get another go. If not it'll be next year... Wonder what a type 25 would do? Or a nicely tuned STI? Link to comment
stum450n Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 He's another run on Sunday IIRC. Anyone seen the pistonheads thread? Nearly 40 pages of suggestions as to what could beat it - including talk of an f1 car!!! Not exactly many road going production cars on their list! Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now