R&T track test: Z06, GTR, GT2, Viper ACR, LP560-4, R8, M3 etc.

Despite the soaring cost of gasoline, the popularity of high-performance sports cars is alive and kicking, and we thought it would be intriguing to see how the latest and greatest fared against one another in what could be our most grueling format ever, an all-out romp on four challenging layouts: an autocross, a short road course (Streets of Willow Springs), a long road course (Willow Springs International Raceway) and, for a unique twist, an oval (Auto Club Speedway, formerly California Speedway). We invited experts in each field to get the most out of these 10 cars at each location: eight-time national autocross champion Gary Thomason, former champion road racer Steve Millen and IRL driver Roger Yasukawa. Because of the large-scale nature of this story, not to mention the wear and tear on the cars involved, we asked each of our hotshoes to jump quickly from one car to another, without much by way of familiarization, and provide us with consistent levels of aggression at each challenging venue, stressing safety as the main order of the day. They delivered with flying colors.

Aston Martin DBS
Audi R8
BMW M3 Coupe
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Lotus Exige S 240
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR
Nissan GT-R
Porsche 911 GT2

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