5 of Our Fastest Cars at BIC in 2016

We bid farewell to 2016 by reminiscing the fastest five cars that we lapped around the BIC in the year gone by...

If you’re an avid autoX follower, you might know that we’ve a knack for pushing the best of performance machines to their absolute limits. And there’s no better way to do that other than on a racetrack. Fortunately for us, we’ve got the Buddh International F1 Circuit at our disposal so as to whet our appetite for speed time and again. This year was no different as we put the country's finest as well as the fastest machines through their paces at the BIC. Here are our fastest five from 2016,

1. Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4

Let’s cut straight to the chase – the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 is not just the fastest car that we’ve lapped around the BIC in 2016, but it’s also the fastest machine that has gone around the racetrack in our hands. With its naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 churning out 602 loud horsepower, the baby Lambo posted a blistering lap time of 2:12.8 around the circuit. Not to mention, that record breaking lap time also helped it bag our first ever Performance Car of the Year award.

Click here to read the full track test - Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 

2. Audi R8 V10 Plus

In its second-generation, the Audi R8 V10 has gone on to become a serious threat to supercar elites like Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, and even its close cousin, Lamborghini. In the V10 Plus guise, the R8 is mechanically identical to the aforementioned Huracan. While it turned out to be a whisker slower than the Huracan with a lap time of 2:14.8 around the BIC, it more than makes up for that with its more practical and easy-to-live-with-nature. That said, don’t be fooled into thinking that this a sedate supercar in any way. It’s still a temperamental Lambo hiding underneath Audi’s civilized skin after all!

Click here to read the full track test - Audi R8 V10 Plus

3. Mercedes-AMG GT S

The Mercedes-AMG GT S was featured in our first issue of 2016, and it straightaway claimed the fastest time (then) on our BIC lap board. As we noted during our time behind the wheel of the AMG GT S at BIC, its performance is not only easily accessible, but the GT S also encourages you to push it harder without showing any signs of distress. In fact, it’s this seat-of-the-pants feel that made it lap the circuit in just 2:15.4 – which is only within a second of the R8’s lap time, despite a nearly 100 horsepower deficit!

Click here to read the full track feature - Audi S5 vs Range Rover Sport SVR vs BMW X6 M vs Mercedes-AMG GT S

4. Porsche 911 Carrera S 991.2

In its latest avatar, the entire Porsche 911 line-up has taken turbo-only route. This means that even entry-level variants like the Carrera and Carrera S now come fitted with downsized turbocharged engines in place of naturally aspirated boxer engines of yore. Has turbocharging slowed down the 911? Not really. The latest-gen 911 Carrera S managed to post a lap time of 2:16.6 at the BIC – a whopping 3 seconds quicker than the car it replaces (991.1).

Click here to read the full track test - 2016 Porsche 911 Carrera S Review

5. Ford Mustang GT

Traditionally, the Ford Mustang was never built to tackle racetracks. It’s more of a cult car that’s meant to be driven in a laidback and relaxed environment. However, when we drove the new Mustang GT around the BIC, we’ve to say that we were pleasantly surprised by its vigour. The 5.0-litre V8 may only have 396bhp on offer but the power is put down neatly – along with a lot of visceral drama – on the track. The handling is predicatable while the car is quite forgiving in case you overcook things - or its tyres in the this case. The Mustang clocked an impressive lap time of 2:25.6. To give you a reference, it’s only two-tenths slower than the BMW M5 and seven-tenths faster than the now defunct Jaguar XK R around the track. Not too shabby for a pony car!

Click here to read the full track test - Ford Mustang GT

Also read: Mega Test – Best of 2016