Aurelia Butler

Just outside the humble city of Danville, Virginia, there is a road course lined with green ARMCO that offers an unbeatable mix of speed, cornering, and braking. Virginia International Raceway (VIR) is arguably America’s most challenging race circuit this side of Germany’s Nürburgring, and for 16 years we’ve put the newest high-performance cars to their limits in an annual week of track time we call Lightning Lap.In May, more than 60 of our readers joined us at VIR to conquer the exact 4.1-mile Grand Course configuration we’ve used to set benchmarks for production cars, from the Honda Fit to the McLaren Senna. Using our price-based categories, from LL1 (up to $35,000) to LL5 ($250,000 and above), readers had over two hours of track time during the day to battle for the quickest times. (We stuck with last year’s price categories, since the registration for this event started before the increases we put in place in 2023 to reflect the ever-increasing price of new vehicles.)Car and DriverWe instantly recognized the cars and faces of those who have devotedly attended our past two reader track days. The cool Virginia morning kicked off with a reminder of track etiquette. The folks at Kaizen Autosport handed out transponders and offered instruction and track car rentals, as they oversaw timing and scoring for three groups of racers. New for this year was an Enthusiast group designed to get the unaccustomed more acclimated to track driving.Three Car and Driver staffers also attended, to log some laps on a portion of our long-term fleet. Out on track with our readers ran our long-term Porsche 718 Cayman GTS and Subaru BRZ and our Honda Civic Si track rat. The competition was fast and the cars were awesome this year, but ultimately only one from each category gets to exit the paddock with a trophy. Thank you to all our loyal readers that joined us for our third Lightning Lap public track day. Here are the results.Enthusiast Car and DriverBy far the largest faction at this year’s event was the Enthusiast group of beginner track drivers, many of whom had never been on a race circuit before, let alone one as long and daunting as VIR’s Grand Course. Their experience began with lead-follow laps behind instructors, followed by solo laps as their comfort levels improved. Fun was had and teeth were cut. Vehicles ranged from Trisha Radocaj’s 2023 Toyota GR86 to Leigh Potts’s 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo SS to Rob Wald’s 2020 BMW M2 Competition. Setting a quick lap time was not the priority, but Cameron Kennedy did strap a transponder to his 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S to record a time of 3:32.7, while his wife, Kristen, was wheeling a 2019 McLaren 570S Spider. Given the smiles we saw around the paddock, we’ll be surprised if a few drivers don’t return next year for more serious runs against the clock.LL1 (under $35,000)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverDuane Black once again made the trek to VIR in his trusty V-6 automatic Mustang with the speed limiter removed, towing a set of track wheels and tires behind, to take top honors in LL1. While his time wasn’t quite as speedy this time around—previously he was flirting with a 3:00 flat—the well-used Mustang was wearing lesser tires. Still, the fact that his 3:03.8 in this humble V-6 Mustang—it bears repeating that it’s his daily driver—beat most of the LL2 entries proves that Black knows his way around the Grand Course. LL2 ($35,000 to $64,999)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThe next-up class had a good mix of competitors: a pair of Civic Type Rs, a Tesla Model 3, and a Challenger Hellcat. The Model 3 and Hellcat were neck and neck in the 3:14s, while the better of the two Civics got down to a 3:07. But none could hang with the 2021 Toyota Supra adorned with an aggressive aero kit driven by Nathan Bunn. Now Bunn was at a distinct advantage, having formerly worked for VIR’s home driving-instruction shop and our partner in this track-day endeavor, Kaizen Autosport, and has no shortage of time at VIR. While his 2:58.3 handily beat everything else in the class, it’s a few seconds off our quickest from a Supra, a manual, last year. Bunn said his fresh set of R-compound tires didn’t arrive in time, so he was nursing a well-used set. LL3 ($65,000 to $124,999)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThe LL3 class saw plenty of action this year, with David Hunt in a 2022 Porsche Cayman GT4 ultimately taking the win with a time of 3:02.6. Close behind was Stephen Fayette in another GT4, a 2016 model, who posted a 3:04.6 lap. A few seconds back, Gabe Rich and his 2022 Chevy Camaro SS 1LE battled it out with Jonathan Lucas in a second 2016 Porsche 718 GT4, with Rich’s 3:11.394 lap just edging out Lucas’s 3:11.502. Fred Barasoain set a 3:18.3 time in his 2019 BMW M4, while Bradley Lucas turned in a 3:27.5 in a 2021 C8 Corvette. LL4 ($125,000 to $249,999)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverIt sure was lonely in the $249,000 and under club. Its only competitor, Matthew Einstein in a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3, set a tasty lap to the tune of 2:45.7. Of course, he won. His 2023 time improved over last year by nearly a second, making Matthew the quickest dude of the day. We managed a 2:40.6 in our attempt last year, but we also had the PDK-automatic advantage over his six-speed manual. We suspect Matthew could return to slice another second or two off his time next year. Among previous reader track day competitions, Matthew is a little behind the 2:40.9 lap set by Corey Radcliff’s 2017 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme. Great work, Matthew, and major props for using that rocket as Stuttgart intended.LL5 ($250,000 and above)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverDeep Sran’s 2018 Ferrari 488 GTB set a 3:18.1 and is the first Ferrari to dive into our pool of track-going readership. Its twin-turbo V-8 packs 661 horsepower from the factory, and the paddle shifters for its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic had Deep’s fingertips dancing. When we tested the 488GTB, it hit 60 mph in 3.0 seconds flat. While Deep’s time was significantly off the pace of the 2:45.1 we set in 2016, we can’t fault the guy for making sure his car was able to drive home in one piece.LLR1 (under $65,000)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverNormally a hotbed for competition, this class saw just two drivers set times this year. John Cuellar took home the trophy in a modified 2007 Chevy Corvette Z06 with a solid time of 2:50.3, cutting eight seconds off the lap in a stock version we set when the car was new. Robert Lamere recorded a respectable 2:57.3 time in another Z06, a 2011 model with the Z07 package, to claim second place. LLR2 ($65,000 to $124,999)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverMostly populated by Ginetta G56 GTA race cars operated by Kaizen Autosport—a 2400-pound racer with a British chassis and Mustang V-6 power—a C5 Corvette that got bumped to the race class with a modified engine and a BMW M240i rounded out the class. The Ginettas were more than 10 seconds quicker than the other two and tightly clustered between 2:48.0 and 2:49.5. Kaizen boss Peter Heffring ended up in second with a 2:48.5 while Bertus van Jaarsveld brought home the win by a half-second, and we don’t think just because he’s a paying customer. LLR3 ($125,000 to $249,999)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThis class saw another small but by no means quiet contingent of Porsches. Honors ultimately went to Jean-François Lemay, who set a 2:52.5 time in a 2017 911 GT3 Cup car. Hot on his heels was Stéphane Bouvier’s 2020 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, which logged a 2:56.8. LLRP1 (prototype)Marc Urbano|Car and DriverAfter an unfortunate wreck at our last track day, Garry Gray was back with his 2013 Radical SR8 for another go. And go he did, turning a best 2:46.1, which is quicker than the Tatuus from our last event by the very narrow margin of 0.3 second. Nice work. Open GalleryMore Lightning LapAssociate EditorYes, he’s still working on the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo project car he started in high school, and no, it’s not for sale yet. Austin Irwin was born and raised in Michigan, and, despite getting shelled by hockey pucks during a not-so-successful goaltending career through high school and college, still has all of his teeth. He loves cars from the 1980s and Bleu, his Great Pyrenees, and is an active member of the Buffalo Wild Wings community. When Austin isn’t working on his own cars, he’s likely on the side of the highway helping someone else fix theirs.Technical EditorMike Sutton is an editor, writer, test driver, and general car nerd who has contributed to Car and Driver’s reverent and irreverent passion for the automobile since 2008. A native Michigander from suburban Detroit, he enjoys the outdoors and complaining about the weather, has an affection for off-road vehicles, and believes in federal protection for naturally aspirated engines.Director, Vehicle TestingDave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver’s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism. More

In the market for a Tesla? Not sure if you want a crossover or a sedan? Well, dear readers, this comparison is for you. If you’re waffling between the smaller Model 3 and the Model Y, we’ve got the official figures to help you determine which model best suits your needs.While the two models are quite similar—even more so when aesthetics are brought into play—there are still some notable differences between the 3 and the Y. Let’s take a look at how they line up, and how they stand apart.Dimensions and CapacitiesIt probably won’t shatter your concept of reality to know that the Model Y SUV is slightly larger than the Model 3 it resembles, but the two aren’t really that divorced from each other.The Model Y’s 187.0-inch length is only a couple inches ahead of the Model 3’s 184.8-inch figure. They’re even closer on the wheelbase front, with the Model Y’s 113.8-inch span ahead of the Model 3 by just 0.6 inch. The Model Y is also 1.6 inches wider, and it offers an extra 1.3 inches of ground clearance.Interior dimensions again favor the Model Y, but not across the board. The Model Y bests the Model 3 in front and rear headroom, although the former are within an inch of each other. Interestingly, the Model 3 actually offers 0.9-inch more front legroom than the Model Y, and the sedan’s rear hip room is also 1.8 inches more capacious. The Model Y remains the rear-legroom champ, offering 40.5 inches of space to stretch versus the Model 3’s 35.2 inches.Model 3.TeslaThe gulf widens when comparing cargo space. The Model 3 offers 22.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity with five people in the car, a fair bit behind the Model Y’s 34.3-cubic-foot volume. However, once you cram seven people inside the Model Y, that figure drops to just 17 cubic feet. That said, you can’t fit seven adults in a Model 3 at all. Tesla Model Y.TeslaHorsepowerThis part is a bit tricky. Tesla doesn’t publish any public-facing horsepower or torque figures, only performance metrics. However, there are some horsepower numbers hidden away in the automaker’s documents filed with the EPA. According to those documents, the Model 3 RWD offers up 257 horsepower from its single rear motor. The Model 3 Long Range’s two motors combine for a net 393 horsepower, while the Model 3 Performance offers 430 horsepower. Over on the Model Y side, both the base and Long Range variants produce 390 horsepower, with the Performance variant rising to just 418 horsepower.Acceleration and Top SpeedAs of this writing (Tesla loves a lineup shuffle), the Model 3 is offered in three trims: The base model comes with rear-wheel drive, while the Long Range and Performance variants add a second motor and all-wheel drive. The Model 3 RWD takes 5.8 seconds to reach 60 mph and continues on to a top speed of 140 mph. The Model 3 Long Range drops the 60-mph time to 4.2 seconds and boosts top speed to 145 mph. At the top of the pile, the Model 3 Performance rips to 60 in 3.1 seconds and tops out at 162 mph.Over on the Model Y side, all three variants (base, Long Range, Performance) come with standard dual-motor AWD. Both the base and Long Range variants have top speeds of 135 mph, but the base’s 5.0-second 60-mph time is only two-tenths slower than the Long Range. The Performance trim turns up the wick, dropping the zero-to-60 time to 3.5 seconds and increasing top speed to 155 mph.TeslaTeslaRangeThe Model 3 RWD offers the least range of any variant mentioned in this comparison at an EPA-estimated 272 miles. Moving up to the Model 3 Long Range increases that figure to an impressive 333 miles—the best of this lot—although boosting output on the Performance model incurs a range penalty, settling at a still-good 315 miles.The Model Y’s base AWD variant offers a solid 279 miles of range, while the Long Range trim rises to 330 miles. Again, opting for the Performance version will eat into range, but at 303 miles, it’s still pretty darn good.TeslaTeslaPrice*Don’t take these price figures with a grain of salt; take them with the whole silo’s worth. Tesla changes its prices like most teenagers change their minds, so it’s worth triple-checking the website or your local store to ensure nothing has changed since this writing.The Model 3 is a fair bit cheaper than the Model Y on the low end. The base Model 3 RWD comes in at $41,630, several thousand dollars lower than the base Model Y’s $49,130 window sticker. The Model 3 Long Range comes in at $48,630, while the Model Y Long Range asks $51,880. At the top of the pile are the Performance variants; the Model 3 will set you back $54,630, and the Model Y isn’t far from that figure at $55,880.More Details, Specs, Test DataSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More