Randy’s Rankings Best Track Car

RANDY’S RANKINGS

HOW OUR PRO HOT SHOE RATES OUR BDC FIELD AROUND LAGUNA SECA

1Porsche 911 Carrera S The new Carrera has quick reflexes from a front end with great grip, yet the rear still follows dutifully—a tough combination. The connection between man and machine is very close here. The reworked turbocharger flat-six adds delicious midrange torque, launching the car from corner to corner. There’s just enough entry oversteer to say “911” —lively and controllable. Best-in-industry brakes and gearbox attributes remain. A winner, even on street tires. 2 McLaren Senna The utter thrill of brain-compressing speed overrules the wild-child handling to deliver a real and aggressive track car experience with genuine downforce pressing the McLaren into the road at high speeds. Unlike any other street car I’ve tried, the Senna is a g addict’s dream come true. Not well balanced, not enough initial brake bite, but an eye-opening, adrenaline-pumping, life-enhancing experience. 3 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 The 2019 GT350 arrives adding better balance and braking to its already terrific on-track behavior. Previous complaints of midcorner oversteer and touchy brakes have been addressed, resulting in far greater stability and consistency. 4 BMW M2 Competition There’s harmony in the way the front and rear tires work together in a corner. This balance rewards the driver every time the wheel turns. Like whipping the flanks of a race horse, I caned the M2 around the circuit as it begged for more. This driver’s car urges on the driver. 5 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe The sleeper of the group. A quiet, compliant ride belies its performance potential. It has the most beautiful balance of the entire field on the racetrack and points you right at your apex. AWD that drives like RWD while always getting more power to the ground. A rumbling, refined cascade of road-wrinkling torque.

6 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+

A sports car in a four-door overcoat. Prodigious power and the light, intuitive response of a much smaller piece. Its combination of minimal body roll and a mildly damped suspension creates formidable grip. Big yumps land the AMG hard on its stops. A tad too much understeer. 7 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 The Jag is racy: stiff, loud, and track-focused. At home on the track, with huge urge. Great muscular fun. It’s held back a little by too much understeer under power and a mild tendency to skate the rear when entering a turn with aggression. 8 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Brawn and beauty. A gorgeous sport luxury coupe that delivers astounding horsepower and torque, it jumps to light speed on the straights. I’d increase the rear rebound and low-speed compression damping. Slightly less agile than some muscular cars just above, but they could easily switch places. 9 Toyota GR Supra A true sports car. Quick beyond its power numbers, it responds directly to driver requests. Shock control is too soft for track work, but it’s well controlled on the street. A fair amount of midcorner oversteer requires a light touch when tipping into the throttle. A bit of isolation in the steering. 10 Bentley Continental GT V8 Handles its luxurious poundage with aplomb. Active anti-roll bars limit roll, and the deep, cushy suspension maximizes grip. Rotates well into a turn with a little tail drift, falls into rather strong understeer midcorner, and grabs pavement with all four wheels. Mountains of torque. 11 Lamborghini Urus Amazing performance ... and it’s an SUV. Well-balanced behavior on track. Feels the most like a sport coupe of all the fancy truckettes. Height and weight keep it behind lower, lighter cars. Still a real success for Lamborghini.

12 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

Someone has to be last. The Dodge isn’t refined, but it could be the most fun. Seats are like thrones. The Hemi pulls harder than you’d dream; tranny is sharp and effective in manual mode. Heavy handling is balanced and brings on the good times.

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