In the last decade or so, automakers have really been blowing up the Nurburgring test times. In fact, if you cruise just about any automotive site on any given week there's some sort of Nurburgring pissing contest between automakers.
For better or worse, the Nurburgring has become
the benchmark for performance autos. Now it seems that when any automaker wants to build a fast car, it has NO choice but to go to the Nurburgring and develop the product there.
And, even the domestic manufacturers are getting in on the act!
Cadillac was sure to test the all-new ATS there and ensured it was captured on film. But as Top Gear's James May pointed out:
Isn't this just ruining cars? Why do a significant amount of street cars have to be extensively tested on the track? I can tell you that I am not pulling G forces while on my daily commute to downtown Manhattan. It's more like stop and go traffic, actually.
One could make the argument that it's a necessary evil. After all,
how else will we set a benchmark for vehicles to perform?Now for a vehicle like a Lexus LFA, Bugatti Veyron, Gumpert, Ferrari and the rest of the crazy performance vehicles, I can understand the need to prove something. Everything else, that's up to you to decide...
Discuss!
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