Rich Ceppos

Feb 20, 2025 | caranddriver.com | Rich Ceppos

From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver. Lap Time: 3:10.4Class: LL2 | Base: $46,875 | As Tested: $47,270 Power and Weight: 271 hp • 3428 lb • 12.6 lb/hp Tires: Bridgestone Potenza S007; 245/35R-19 93YOn a track, we want a car that's consistent, responding predictably to steering, braking, and throttle inputs lap after lap. No alarms and no surprises, please. Even pros want that in their race cars. Along with speed, of course.

Feb 20, 2025 | caranddriver.com | Rich Ceppos

From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver. Lap Time: 3:00.3Class: LL2 | Base: $67,575 | As Tested: $67,785Power and Weight: 641 hp • 4858 lb • 7.6 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect; 275/35ZR-21 103Y PNCS HNWe ran the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N's platform-mate, the 576-hp Kia EV6 GT, at Lightning Lap last year, so it's natural to compare the performance of these brothers from different mothers.

Feb 20, 2025 | caranddriver.com | Rich Ceppos

From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver. Lap Time: 3:11.1Class: LL1 | Base: $36,465 | As Tested: $36,465Power and Weight: 228 hp • 2857 lb • 12.5 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4; 215/40R-18 85YIn the gym, repetition builds muscle. On a racetrack, repetition builds muscle memory. The more laps you can string together, the more you get into a comfortable rhythm while fine-tuning your line, pushing braking points deeper, and learning to ride a car's cornering limits.

Feb 20, 2025 | caranddriver.com | Rich Ceppos

From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver. Lap Time: 3:06.4Class: LL1 | Base: $34,850 | As Tested: $35,320 Power and Weight: 276 hp • 3242 lb • 11.7 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; 245/35ZR-19 (93Y) HNThe Elantra N's appearance at VIR this year constitutes a Lightning Lap mulligan. When we had an Elantra N at the 2023 running of our track event, we rued that Hyundai hadn't sent a second set of tires, so we set its official time on well-worn rubber.

Feb 20, 2025 | ca.finance.yahoo.com | David Beard |Rich Ceppos |Austin Irwin |Dave Vander Werp

From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver. For one week each year, we descend on a piece of hilly automotive heaven in southern Virginia to see how quickly a selection of cars can lap a racetrack—the test we call Lightning Lap. The Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) is the closest facsimile of the Nürburgring Nordschleife we can find without flying over an ocean. The 4.1-mile course may not be as long as that German one, but it is every bit as demanding.