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Power to weight ratio though an important indicator of performance, doesn't reveal everything especially how effectively a car puts its power down on the road.
I'm taking an example of the R8's track time at the Bedford Autodrome circuit from the july issue of EVO:
1. Porsche Carrera GT 1:19.7
2. Caterham CSR 260 1:21.0
3. McLaren F1 1:21.2
4. Ferrari Enzo 1:21.3
5. Audi R8 1:22.1
6. Koenigsegg CCX 1:22.3
7. Lamborghini Gallardo 1:22.8
8. Mosler MT900 1:23.0
9. Ascari KZ1 1:23.2
10. Porsche 997 GT3 1:23.4
It's pretty obvious all of the 5 cars below the R8 has a higher power to weight ratio yet they are slower. The thing similar between the R8 and GT-R is both utilizes trick 4WD drivetrain which I believe is well developed to the point where it provides superior traction which shows in their lap time. Remember the Audi Quattro in the BTCC (or was it WTCC) years ago? They were so successful on track that their Quattro 4WD was banned. Likewise the C4S is faster over a lap of the Nurburgring than the lighter C2S.
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