Road & Track: Fastest Street-Legal Car in America (August 1998)

Mario Andretti Drives the:
* McLaren F1
* Ferrari 550 Maranello
* Ruf Porsche CTR 2
* Hennessey Viper 600 GTS
* Lingenfelter Corvettes
* Toyota Supra Turbo by HKS

Fast Times at Fort Stockton
Mario Andretti helps us find the fastest street-legal car in America

By Andrew Bornhop

MARIO ANDRETTI RETIRED from full-time racing four years ago, but it doesn't seem like he's been gone that long. Maybe it's because he still accompanies his son Michael to all the CART races. Or maybe it has something to do with those Texaco commercials. Whatever the reason, there's one thing we can say for sure about Mario Andretti -- his status as an American racing legend is backed by a resume that's as long and laden with success as you'll ever find.

He has won in everything he's driven -- midgets, sprint cars, stock cars, Indy cars, and Formula 1 cars. He's won championships too -- the most significant being his 1978 Formula 1 crown. In his 35-year career, he's dazzled 'em at Daytona, drunk the milk at Indy and had Chris Economaki say his name at least a thousand times. What's more, he's driven for the likes of Andy Granatelli, Enzo Ferrari, Colin Chapman, and on one occasion, even Frank Williams. And now, add Road & Track magazine to that list.

That's right, Andretti readily accepted our offer to top-speed test some of the fastest street-legal cars in America. "Sounds like fun," said Mario, his appetite perhaps whetter by the chance to drive a McLaren F1.

His task was simple in description, difficult in execution: We wanted him to wring every last bit of speed out of these cars, all of which are licensed for the street. This would take place at the very same track in Texas where Phil hill, America's only other F1 World Champion, drove in a similar test back in our June 1995 issue (we decided that having America's only two F1 World Champions drive for us provided an added dimension to the test). This time, however, we assembled a group from the U.S., Europe and Japan. And we hoped some would have the ability to reach and exceed that magical 200-mph mark.

In addition to having the McLaren F1 (the same car we tested in December 1997) on hand, we had two Corvettes from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (a C5 and a ZR-1), a box-stock Ferrari 550 Maranello, a Toyota Supra Turbo modified by HKS, a Venom 600 GTS Viper from Hennessey Motorsports and a narrow-body Ruf CTR 2 that Alois (Louis) Ruf airfreighted from Germany to Dallas and drove to Ford Stockton with his wife, Estonia. (There are CTR 2s licensed in the U.S. but they have the wild-looking wider "fat boy" bodies that aren't good for top speed.) A potent group indeed, with an average bhp of 506!

One important caveat was made clear from the start: After the top-speed testing, we'd have each of the cars tailpipe-tested to see if they complied with emissions laws. If they didn't, well, their maximum speeds simply would not be factored into our final test results.

Our venue, kindly put at our disposal by the folks at Bridgestone and Firestone, was the 7.712-mile high-speed oval at Fort Stockton, Texas (elevation 3030 ft.), which has a pair of 1.5-mile straights and two constant-radius corners of approximately 2.3 miles in length. Each corner has 15-degree banking in its outer lane, meaning a car can be driven at 140 mph on that part of the track without any steering input. This oval has no guardrails, so a slight miscue could send a car sailing off into the desert.

On test day, smoke from raging Mexican wildfires cast an eerie pall over the desert, almost as if there was a solar eclipse. But you tend to forget about such things when cars of this caliber are awakened and clear their fuel-injected throats in preparation for their respective runs. Taking advantage of the cool morning air, we began early, drawing numbers out of Mario's helmet to determine the oh-so-important starting order.

Without further ado, here are the fastest street-legal cars in America, as they took to the track, with all the top speeds recorded by our trusty Stalker radar gun.


Lingenfelter Corvette 383 203.1 mph

AS THIS SILVER rocket blasted past us and shot toward the timing trap, the oohs and aahs from the paddock could be heard above the roar of John Lingenfelter's 383-cu.-in. V-8. But could it really have been a 214.1-mph run, as our trap indicated? No it couldn't have, because Lingenfelter knew that at the 6000-rpm redline in 5th gear, his C5 was mathematically limited to 204.5 mph. Clearly, there was a problem with our trap.

So, after switching to our radar system, we sent the C5 out again. No stranger to putting his right foot down, Mario soon had the car going just as fast as before, coming down off the banking at 190 and shooting past our radar gun at a terminal velocity of 203.1 mph. "That's more like it," said Lingenfelter.

Though Mario wasn't particularly pleased with how the car felt aerodynamically (Lingenfelter says he's working on a body kit to improve the car's rear downforce), nobody can deny this car's outstanding top speed. It's so fast, in fact, that the 200-mph wind sucked the passenger-side window out of its upper seal (a problem we've noticed while testing some normal production Corvettes as well).

This phenomenal speed is the direct result of Lingenfelter's LS1 V-8 package, which bumps the output from the stock 345 bhp to a stout 450. Because Chevy's aluminum V-8 can't be bored, Lingenfelter bumps it up to nearly 383 cu. in. solely through an increase in stroke. At around $17,000, the cost of his package is not cheap, but it involves some pretty serious stuff, not the least of which is removing and disassembling the engine. That's followed by a completely blueprinted rebuild using a new crankshaft (which requires some machining of the block for clearance), high-compression pistons, billet rods, a more aggressive camshaft and ported and polished heads. And on this C5, a prototype tubular exhaust manifold fed the stock catalytic converters and less restrictive mufflers. The final drive had also been changed, a 3.15:1 replacing the stock 3.42:1 ratio.

Did it surprise anybody that Lingenfelter was able to bring a 200-mph C5 Corvette to our test? Not a bit.


Toyota Supra Turbo, modified by HKS 183.6 mph

UNLIKE THE OTHER cars in this test -- each of which had at least one handler and one mechanic on hand -- this Toyota Supra Turbo was simply shipped to the track and left at our disposal. Do you think Toyota had confidence in its car?

It should have. This HKS-modified Supra performed flawlessly, streaking to an impressive (and quiet!) maximum speed of 183.6 mph. Said Toyota's Jeremy Barnes (by phone): "We wanted to build a car that had all the reliability of an everyday Toyota. Just as important, we wanted a car that made everybody smile. But we wanted it to be so potent that half the people who ride in it will be afraid to get back in the car!"

Well, Mario didn't find the car scary at all, calling this Supra "absolutely stable." Another apt description: "absolutely affordable." That's because for less than $10,000, you can turn your stock Toyota Supra Turbo into a car that easily breaks 180 mph. Without a sacrifice in driveability.

All the work done to this Supra is of the bolt-on variety, work that can be accomplished by any mechanically adept person with proper tools. In this case, though, it was handled by HKS, the firm that makes the bulk of the engine enhancements. The most important of these is the pair of large ball-bearing turbos that send their charge through a monstrous intercooler.

At full boost (17.4 psi), this dohc inline-6 puts out 380 bhp at the rear wheels, which, loosely translated, means there is about 420 bhp at the crankshaft. No wonder the Supra goes so fast. And no wonder that the 155-mph speed limiter had to be disconnected!

McLaren F1 217.7 mph

SO, YOU'RE PROBABLY wondering why this McLaren F1 -- which many would argue is the finest street-legal car in the world -- didn't reach the factory-claimed top speed of 231 mph. Simple: This mid-engine supercar didn't have the right gearing -- it was bouncing off its 7500-rpm rev limiter in 6th gear, measured by our radar at a top speed of 217.7 mph.

A bit of a disappointment? Yes.

Nevertheless, that speed of "only" 217 firmly established the McLaren as the fastest street-legal car of the day. (As readers may recall from our December issue, this McLaren was federalized for import by Dick Fritz, whose Ameritech company is listed as the car's manufacturer.)

As Mario climbed out of the car, he said it felt very sleek. More important, he also said it could have easily pulled another gear, meaning that 231 mph perhaps isn't pie in the sky.

The carbon-fiber McLaren is an exquisite example of English race-car craftsmanship, and the mid-mounted BMW V-12 sends the car rocketing down the straight with such ferocity that it sounds like an F-16 fighter on a strafing mission. Right after the car streaked by, John Hennessy stood with mouth agape: "That right there is worth the price of admission."

Indeed it was. And speaking of price, the McLaren fetches a cool $1 million. But though that may seem expensive, it's a moot point because production is ended and all have been sold. It should be noted that racing versions of the McLaren F1 have long tail sections that almost certainly would add stability at such elevated speeds. Also notable was that this McLaren never came close to overheating (as it did in Phoenix traffic during our previously published road test), either during the top-speed runs or when being maneuvered slowly about the paddock for photography.

Final point: John Lingenfelter watched the McLaren go by and grinned when the top speed crackled in over the radio at 217. Was he simply impressed with his 627-bhp rocket? Or did he think his ZR-1 could beat it? We'll find out later.


Hennessey Venom 600 GTS 205.4

WHEN MARIO STRAPPED himself into the Venom 600, John Hennessey told him the car will make top speed in 5th, and to begin putting the hammer down whenever he felt comfortable. Well, Mario did just that and shot down the straightaway at a very impressive 205.4 mph. Unfortunately, just as he was nearing the end of the straight, the car's 602-bhp V-10 burst an oil cooler line, causing a huge cloud of smoke as oil sprayed onto the passenger-side exhaust manifold. Further, a small fire broke out, spreading beneath the cowl and melding some of the car's bodywork.

A big bummer for Hennessey. Vipers, because of their large frontal area, push a lot of air. To have one reach 205 mph, well, that means one thing -- your engine must make gobs of power.

And Hennessey's does just that -- 602 bhp, to be exact. That's what you get with his Venom 600 GTS upgrade, which (through bore and stroke increases) raises the displacement of the Viper's V-10 to 514 cu. in. and leaves precious few parts of that massive aluminum powerplant unchanged.

Prior to the oil-line drama, Mario praised the car's stability while cornering, a trait Hennessey says is directly attributable to his VenomAero front and rear fascias that significantly reduce lift.

Fortunately, Hennessey had a slightly less potent Viper on hand, a Venom 550 that reached a maximum speed of 189 mph, right at the engine's 6200-rpm rev limit. Unfortunately, the timing chain broke as the rev limiter kicked in repeatedly, allowing the pistons to make contact with the valves. Not a good day for Vipers in the West Texas desert. "If you're not breaking something every now and then," said Hennessey pragmatically, "you're not pushing the envelope hard enough." Nevertheless, he proved that a 200-mph Viper is indeed a reality.


Ferrari 500 Maranello 193.4 mph

WHEN MARIO BUCKLED into the box-stock 550 Maranello, Ferrari's Carlo Fiorani didn't tell him how to extract the most speed out of the car. No, he simply told him how to disable the alarm and shut off both the air conditioning and traction control. Indeed, this Ferrari is very much a production car -- the only one in the group -- laden with luxuries and not modified one bit for this grueling top-speed test.

Which makes its speed of 193.4 mph all the more remarkable. A car that goes this fast isn't supposed to be so quiet of civilized.

Open the aluminum hood (complete with its ram-air scoop) and you'll see the soul of this titanium-colored Ferrari, a compact 65-degree V-12 that's a spiritual brother to the Italian company's last V-12 Formula 1 engine. As you'd expect, this beautiful 4-valve, 4-cam powerplant with dry-sump oiling sends its 485 bhp to the rear wheels via a rear-mounted 6-speed transaxle whose shifter moves through a characteristic stainless-steel shift gate.

Mario came away impressed with the aerodynamic stability of the Pinifarina-styled Maranello, which is the fruit of spending nearly 5000 hours in the wind tunnel. Besides having excellent front and rear downforce at speed, Ferrari says the Maranello is almost impervious to side winds.

as a front-engine Berlinetta, the 500 Maranello perfectly embodies what a modern Ferrari should be -- an emotional car that's dynamically superb, esthetically pleasing and utterly comfortable without being cushy. Racing still runs deep in its veins.

This comfortable exotic -- which laps the Fiorano test track more quickly than any 512 -- may not have reached 199 mph as the factory claims, but it's important to realize that its 193-mph run took place late in the morning, when the temperature had climbed to 81 degrees.

After the test, Mario was asked to pick his favorite car. Without hesitation he responded, "the Maranello." Obviously enthused, Andretti elaborated: "If it were raining today, I still could've given you a hell of a run with that Maranello. I felt totally confident in that car." High Praise indeed.


Lingenfelter Corvette ZR-1 201.5

WHEN WE ASKED John Lingenfelter to bring one of his C5 Corvettes to this test, he agreed but begged us to let him bring a second Vette, a ZR-1. "Why?" we asked. "Because it's the only car that will have a chance against the McLaren," said Lingenfelter.

Would we turn down such an offer? Never.

That's because Lingenfelter has been working with these 4-cam LT5 engines since 1991, and has developed a package that bumps the output of this aluminum-block V-8 from 405 bhp to an immense 620. This is accomplished through increased bore and stroke (which boost displacement from 350 to 415 cu. in.), high-compression pistons, billet rods, ported and polished cylinder heads, new camshafts, a larger throttle body and Lingenfelter's own intake plenum with Siamesed runners.

A few minutes before his car went out, however, John asked if his ZR-1 could make a run with the catalytic converter being bypassed. "Sure," we said, as long as his official top-speed run took place with the single cat -- from a 1986 Corvette -- hooked up.

When the open-pipe ZR-1 took to the track, it commanded our attention. As expected it was extremely loud and fast, a yellow streak zooming past the paddock at a blisteringly quick 218.1 mph. And everybody could see that the tail of the car -- fitted with a custom Lingenfelter rear fascia -- was being pushed to the ground by downforce. At the same time, the car's nose was rising high, like the bow of a boat skimming across the water, which couldn't have helped aerodynamics.

This apparently didn't faze Mario, who said the front end felt very positive. In fact, he said the ZR-1 -- which had its side mirrors removed for the top-speed run -- felt much more secure than the C5, even in a straight line.

When Mario went back out in the car with the catalytic converter hooked up properly, the speed fell drastically, to 201.5 mph, which equates to 6100 rpm in 5th gear. Lingenfelter was disappointed in having used the 3.07:1 rear-end gears instead of the 3.45s, which would have put the engine closer to its 7500-rpm power peak. "We just ran out of time," said Lingenfelter. "We'd have been in good shape if we'd had another week or two." Given that time, he'd have hooked the ZR-1 up with a pair of catalytic converters from a Viper, which cost only 10 bhp compared to straight exhaust. With Viper cats, correct gearing and less front lift, Lingenfelter's ZR-1 could have conceivably reached 220 mph and beaten the million-dollar McLaren. But it wasn't to happen this day. "Have another top-speed test," said Lingenfelter. "We'll make you happy."


Ruf CTR 2 201.5 mph

IN MARIO'S FIRST run in the Ruf CTR 2 he reached 190 mph and immediately came in, complaining of an instability that caused the car to change lanes and be totally unpredictable. Alignment and caster, insisted Mario, had to be checked. Ruf himself went out in the car, only to confirm Mario's feelings. Fortunately, the proving grounds had an alignment machine that allowed Thomas Fisher, Ruf's mechanic, to check all the suspension settings. Sure enough, problems with camber and wheel alignment were found, perhaps related to how the car was cinched down for its airborne trip across the Atlantic.

When Mario went out a second time, he said the 520-bhp CTR 2 felt much better but still not totally correct. Even so, he was able to reach a top speed of 201.5 mph, a respectable run that's still well below the 211-mph run of the famous Yellow Bird CTR that dominated our "World's Fastest Cars" test in July of 1987.

This particular car, a 2wd CTR 2 painted in the same Blutengelb (Blossom Yellow) color as the Yellow Bird, also had a slight wander down the straightaway. But it's also important to realize that Mario's last run took place in the early afternoon, when the mercury had shot up to 98 degrees.

On a cooler day, and given the right alignment, camber and caster, the speeds would undoubtedly been higher. McLaren quick? We don't know. But Mario did make it clear that Ruf's air-cooled flat-6 had plenty of power to spare.

Still, Ruf was disappointed. This car truly had an honest shot at beating the 217-mph McLaren. Somehow, a car that had been so stable on late-night Autobahn sojourns had suddenly become a handful. But Ruf remained optimistic. And it was gratifying to see Ruf stay in the 200-mph club that he pretty much established back in 1987. Don't worry, Louis, there will be a next time. By then, however, Ruf will have build his last (28th) CTR 2, so who knows what kind of car he'll bring. Whatever it is, you can bet it will be fast and dead reliable, as his cars have always been.


Yes, but do they pass emissions?

IN RURAL TEXAS, emissions testing isn't required, but in major cities like Houston and Dallas, it is. And for this story, we required that each car pass the state's simple tailpipe test. Conducted at idle and at 2300-2500 rpm, unburned hydrocarbons (HC) must be no more than 220 parts per million and carbon monoxide can't exceed 1.2 percent.

On the morning after our top-speed test, six surviving cars gathered at the Firestone Tire shop in Midland for a 4-gas analysis test using a tailpipe sniffer. And yes, there was a surprise.

All cars passed except the two Lingenfelter Corvettes, which at idle pumped out more than twice the allowed number of unburned hydrocarbons. "I about fell out of my chair when those cars didn't pass," said John, who later confirmed that his cars weren't running right. On the ZR-1, the number 7 sparkplug had eaten its electrode, causing a miss. On the C5, John traced problems to GM's catalytic converters, whose ceramic substrate doesn't hold up well to the heat of sustained full-throttle operation.

In all fairness to Lingenfelter, his C5 did do two additional laps early in the day -- 15 miles at nearly constant full-throttle -- because of our timing problems. A pair of brand-new cats for the C5 -- installed back at his shop in Indiana -- fixed things immediately, said Lingenfelter.

In spite of the credible explanations, the Lingenfelter cars still did not pass the emissions tests that day, meaning their speeds are not factored into the results. Nor is the speed of the Hennessey Venom 600 GTS, which never had a chance to be smogged.

So, of the seven cars that competed in this test, only four qualify as legal. And of these, the McLaren F1 reigns as the fastest street-legal car in America. Even rev-limited at 217 mph, nothing legal comes close. Had the Ruf CTR 2 not had stability problems, it would have had a better chance. But for now Louis Ruf should be content with knowing that his CTR 2 is the second-quickest street-legal car in America. Know Ruf for many years, we doubt that he will ever be content with second.

That last time we conducted a top-speed test (two years ago in Texas), not a single car exceeded 200 mph. This year, five of seven did, although three didn't make the final cut because of attrition of emissions trouble.

And just how did Mario feel? Well he found 200 mph to be a "magical barrier" in these street cars. "Below 200," said Mario, "driving these cars was almost a piece of cake." But above 200, "it's a whole new dimension," primarily because of the unstudied aerodynamics at those speeds.

Ten years ago, would anybody have guessed that we'd see so many street-licensed cars crack the 200-mph mark? Would anybody have guessed that you'd need a driver of Mario Andretti's caliber to extract the most speed out of a bunch of street-legal cars? The answer to both: an emphatic "no."

Speed. It's always the focus when car enthusiasts gather. And though times change, one thing never does: manufacturers and tuners constantly trying to extract the best possible speed out of their beloved cars. As Mario Andretti mused, "Boys will always be boys."

And on that day in Texas, Mario was just one of the boys, driving past us at speeds that would curl your hair. Onward and upward!

http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/MK4RT.JPG


Mario on the Lingenfelter Corvette 383: A stock Corvette should be able to run 170-plus. But with this engine pushing the car past 200 mph, it's quite clear to me that the aero-dynamics haven't been studied at this speed. This car feels a little wiggly, and it doesn't feel like it has much front or rear downforce. I'm really having to drive it. I came off the corner at about 190 mph and it was a little hairy on the exit. It had a slight oversteer that held. But I wouldn't want to do that too many times!

Mario on the HKS Supra: I was flat all the way around in this Supra. On the second lap, I downshifted into 5th gear, brought it back up to max revs and then upshifted into 6th, which helped the car pick up some additional speed. Maximum speed was reached in 6th for sure, because 5th was too short. This car is stable. Absolutely stable. My cornering speed was somewhere around 170 mph, and you could feel the banking kill the speed a bit. Overall, this is a very driver-friendly car.

Mario on the McLaren F1: Overall, a very impressive car. But I was really surprised at how aerodynamically unstable it was. Absolutely unstable. I was taking the corners at about 200 mph, but probably could have taken them quite a bit quicker if the back end hadn't wanted to keep hanging itself out. This really caught me by surprise. I never thought it was going to move around the way it did. Also, the speedometer was really optimistic, indicating that I had hit 240 mph, when I was really only going 217. Nevertheless, it's the only car that I actually had to use the brakes before going into the corners to feel safe. That was a scary 217.

Mario on the Venom 600 Viper: This car has quite good aerodynamic balance at high speed. I would say that in the corners the Viper has been the quickest car so far. I just felt like I could really hang it out in this car. Typical of a high-torque engine in that you reach terminal velocity early. You don't build speed like in the McLaren, where it just feels like you are always accelerating. With the Viper I came off the corner and it was almost immediately at top speed. John told me it would pull 6500 rpm in 5th. I never saw 6500. I saw only 6300.

Mario on the Maranello: The best-feeling car so far. I was able to get up to speed earlier that usual because this car gives me the encouragement to do so. I wasn't going to gain much speed coming down the straight because I was able to take the corner near maximum velocity. On the banking I'd lose about 200 revs, which I would pick back up very quickly on the straight. Very impressive. Very stable. I was able to maintain really good speed through the entire corner with my foot flat. I was having to drive the car, but it still felt very secure. The speedometer was optimistic, showing 207 mph.

Mario on the Lingenfelter ZR-1: I came off the corner at close to 200 mph and it pulled all the way to the end of the straight. And I know I reached terminal velocity. The pull is strong. The car is quite stable, and though it's a bit bouncy, it's predictable. That gave me the confidence I needed to build up enough speed in the corner to make sure I reached terminal velocity on the straight. With the straight pipes it pulled really hard through the corners. But actually, I think the car did very respectably with the catalytic converter hooked up.

Mario on the Ruf: Properly set up, this car will go considerably quicker. It was all I could handle. I think we showed 5800 rpm on the tachometer. And I was on it hard. I mean I was hanging on. If I could've had a little more stability through the corner and gotten more speed earlier, perhaps I could have picked up 2 or 3 more miles per hour. I think this car will go quicker, but it's scary. On the banking it's ok, but coming off, the car would tend to move over a lane. To be honest with you, I probably went harder than I should have from a safety standpoint, but I wanted to be as fair as possible to Ruf. I'd have said, "No, not at least until something else has been done to the car."

To see the scans of the article go to: http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/articles/mk4/8_98rtsupra.html

I own the Supra that was used in the R&T: Fastest Street Legal Cars in America. I purchased the car, a 1997 Supra Twin Turbo Limited Edition 15th Anniversary, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), Torrance, CA in December 1999, in mint condition. I started the purchase process in March 1999 and finally acquired it on December 1999. The lengthy process was due to legal obstacles that I had to hurdle to take delivery on the car. It was worth it! I’m registered as the original owner.

Awesome! Mind if I ask what modifications it had? The article mentioned the HKS twin turbo setup, but I presume it had a catalytic converter somehow affixed to the downpipe...

It must be a privilege to own this particular Supra though it is sad that someone didn't enter a Supra with some real horsepower other than one so close to stock horsepower. Lets say something like 600 to 800RWHP to see how fast it would go and to get Mario's opinion on the handling of a Supra at whatever high speed it would do...haha... I mean this was afterall a test of which is the fastest street legal car in America...

Back in 1998, a 400rwhp Supra was a "big dawg." I'm sure that particular car with no cats and higher boost would have given them a better run for the money. Still it's nice to see Toyota/HKS knew the car was so solid that they just left it there without a team of mechanics...

Last I heard, R&T doesn't do these tests anymore. A few years back they lost a driver and they decided the competition wasn't worth it

Oops. I missed the August 1998 part of the post at the very top right side. Please forget my dumb post...haha...

Awesome! Mind if I ask what modifications it had? The article mentioned the HKS twin turbo setup, but I presume it had a catalytic converter somehow affixed to the downpipe...
Back then...it had the mod's listed below:
custom HKS ball-bearing turbo's modified on OE sequential turbo system, type R FMIC, VPC II, EVC IV, turbo timer, OE cats and downpipe, power flow air filter, dual drager exhaust and HKS Super Form suspension springs on OE shocks.
Now...it has basically everything that HKS has to offer specically for the Supra MKIV and generates 548 hp @1.2 kg/cm on 91 octane gas.
I'll list the current mods in "What mods do you have" thread.

OE cats and downpipe

If only they would have let it do a run w/o cats like they did with lingenfelter... Very nice man, I'm definitely jealous!

LOL what a small world! Welcome aboard by the way...

LOL what a small world! Welcome aboard by the way...
Thank you very much...glad to be aboard!