For the last year and a bit, the internet has been alive with claims of Alfa Romeo’s newest super-saloon blasting the Nürburgring in a laptime that would make BMWs M3 blush.
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But finally, the men from Milan have released their onboard video.
It seemed to take awhile, and it was almost exactly one year ago that I wrote this blog post: BLOG: Why the Alfa 7m39s laptime is PR bull****
But before I get too technical, here’s the video:
RANT: It still amazes me that manufacturers will spend millions developing sportscars, and then allow a total noob to fit the GoPro to the car doing a lap record of the Nürburgring. It takes less than a minute to connect the camera to your phone, check the “spot” exposure point is over the windscreen and then click record.
Of course, BMW’s 7m28s onboard lap from the mega-pricey M4 GTS is precisely opposite from the Alfa. The driving is smooth, and not scary. Some data is present, the camera is correctly setup and, even, set in 4k mode!
But, I have to admit, it’s not anywhere near as ‘exciting’ as Fabio Francia’s lap in the QV. Here are some more of my thoughts:
- Top of the foxhole, that was FAST… because he hit the bottom with no lifting, there wasn’t enough time to slow the car before the kerb. Notice the myriad error messages arriving on screen! (often this is the mistake that can lead to catastrophic ABS failure)
- Exiting Tiergarten, braking into Hohenrain, when BOOM the car is airborne! Scary crap.
- It reminds me a lot of the Lamborghini Aventador lap, and even Michael Vergers in the Radical. Casually dressed guys going balls-out in road-legal cars. So far over the limit, so exciting to watch.
- Those tyres are epic, I need a set! Pirelli Trofeo Rs, if I’m not mistaken…
