HYPER 5 - LaFerrari vs Porsche 918 vs McLaren P1 vs Bugatti Super Sport vs Pagani Huayra - PART 3 - YouTube

 

having seen few of these comparisons now it seems 2015 is same as 2005. Porsche is fastest and most practical at lowest price. Ferrari is best looking, most exotic, best sound with most chance appreciate $. macca still finding their footing but much better p1 now than sls then. they need f1 inspired car with central seating and super low weight for next gen hypercar

 

Looks fun but one track, no dragstrip, obvious traction issues and no pro driver that can give a baseline pecking order like Motor Trend does.

 

And gues who comes first AGAIN?

 

Look again. The P1 had a higher trap speed and the LaF spent so much time spinning its trap speed was artificially low.

 

918 was fastest in time to 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile. Beyond 145MPH its front electric motor on the 918 disengages and the other two catch up (how many owners drive/race their cars beyond 150 mph and how often - mostly never). Don't be fooled by the video showing the LaF spinning its wheels... Test was done multiple times optimizing each car and the best times are reported in the chart I posted while the video only shows one of the several runs.

The 918 is fastest in all tests and to about 145-150 MPH. It is also the technically most advanced. The LaF is not nearly as advanced in its technology compared to the 918 (just like the F40 was a dinosaur compared to the 959). The P1 is just a MP4-12C with the boost turned up and an electric driver train added. It has the same chassis and basic engine (sourced originally from a Nissan design). The P1's battery pack is behind the drivers seat at about shoulder height! Comical if you ask me! Why? because in both the other cars the battery packs are on the floor - optimal location for COG reasons but the 12C platform they used for the P1 did not allow room to put the battery pack at floor level so they had to shoehorn it behind the seats.

Then again, I am biased in favor of Porsches!

 

While I appreciate the P1 information, if you believe an 11.03 is a representative ET of a 140mph+ trap speed car, you need to educate yourself about drag racing. Despite whatever claim or video posted, that is a lot of spinning. It's clear both the LaF and P1 would slowly walk the 918 from a roll, 60-130, 1/2 mile, 1 mile etc.

As big a fan as I am of the 918, it's the one I haven't reviewed of the "trinity".

 

Not be argumentative, but I think you may be missing the point of the performance testing of these hypercars! This is not about drag racing stats... If you want the fastest drag racer, go get a top fuel dragster or even a purpose-built drag racer at a fraction of the cost of these flagship hypercars. To me, this performance testing is about real world street performance (of these street cars) and technology that will trickle down to cheaper, street cars made by these manufacturers (just like we saw with the Porsche 959 and all that technology ultimately making it to regular 911s). If the LaF spun its wheels in real world 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile tests, it is because of its fundamental design shortcoming of pushing 950+ HP through 2 wheels with existing tire technology! IMO, as soon as you exceed 600 WHP, you have to go to part-time or full-time AWD to put the power down and work out the dynamics of the car so it still handles like a true RWD sports car on the track, which the 918 does exceptionally well.

If pure drag racing stats was all this test was about, they should have performed the test on a drag strip having sprayed the surface down for maximum adhesion, which the Paul Bailey test did and the 918 still won!


In OP test, that is not the case, because I believe they wanted to test real world street performance with each car's technology and engineering which also meant street tires.

Bottom line is that the 918 is the faster, more advanced car as of today on the market and maintains its real world performance advantage over the other 2 all the way to over 145 MPH.

 

All straight line types of races are well represented on this forum with rolling and 1/2 mile races being very popular among all sorts of exotic cars. There are no purpose-built straight line production street legal cars yet its the most popular form of participant motorsport.

That being said, you're right about AWD being an inherent standing start advantage and needed for high hp cars, especially in the 1/4 mile.

Interestingly the video you provided shows the LaF and 918 identical in trap speed (again lots of spinning despite track prep) and the P1 having a both higher 1/8th and final trap speeds than the 918. So I stand by my statement from a roll, 60-130mph, 1/2 and 1 mile, the 918 gets slowly walked by both.

 

Then there is the Issue of the Nurburgring Nordschleife track record of the 918 that neither of the other two seem to be able to match. Closest to the 918 was an Aventador SV. In most tests (perhaps not all) the 918 with the lowest HP rating and the highest weight has spanked the LaF and the P1.

 

That is certainly another interesting discussion, not debate!

The 'Ring is a tough one to call a winner since times haven't been disclosed (P1) and has the LaF been to the 'Ring? What was Bailey's car's lap times?

I prefer the Laguna Lap. Less variance in conditions on any one day, same driver every time (Randy Pobst) and there the 918 beat the P1. The P1 had some traction issues (no LSD helping in low speed turns) and Randy thought it needed a more aggressive, race tune to the ABS computer.

 

Haha - I like discussions more than debate! The issue with track lap times is that not all the cars are wearing the same rubber. The 918 and LaF only have one approved tire - Pzero Corsa for the LaF and MPSC2 for the 918. The P1 comes with a Pzero Corsa but McLalso approves the use of Trofeo Rs. with the Corsas, the 918 has beaten the P1 many times. But with the Trofeo Rs, the P1 has been faster at various tracks.

To give due credit to all 3 manufacturers, they have built cars with different approaches that are close in performance.

 

For sure! And then adding to the tires, aero comes into play. The front engine, manual transmission, steel chassis, static suspension Viper ACR beating the 918 with "only" 640hp is amazing.

 

True. Randy Pobst was gushing over the ACR! Well done Viper!