VF Ute at Nurburgring - 8:19:47

[Jamie]

Videos are up on YouTube, 8:19:47. Ended up faster than the 6.2L camaro.


The Lap

The Build up Stories

Part1 - The Machine

Part2 - The Driver

Part3 - The Ring

[G. David Felt]

Very Cool, but is it not lighter than the camero? I would expect it to be faster since it has a bed rather than a back seat.

[Jamie]

Pretty much exactly the same weight.

SS-V Ute Redline Automatic - Weight 1754.0kg/3867 lbs

2013 2SS Camaro - 3860 lbs

The SS V Redline Ute that set the lap time was a product-correct engineering test vehicle that was being used in Europe for validation purposes before taking on The Green Hell. Stock standard apart from a small amount of additional negative camber dialled into the front wheels (although still within production tolerances) and the removal of the speed limiter, the Ute ran flawlessly for seven days and 35 gruelling laps in total.

The only components that required changing during the entire program were tyres and brakes, a testament to the robust engineering of the VF Commodore range.

“We took a standard six-speed automatic VF SS V Redline Ute and subjected it to 35 laps and more than 720 kilometres of intense punishment at the Nürburgring and the car didn’t skip a beat; it soaked it all up and set a hugely impressive lap time,” said Andrew Holmes, Program Engineering Manager for VF.

Edited June 28, 2013 by JamesB

[Drew Dowdell]

Balance different maybe?

[Z-06]

Balance different maybe?

I would say probably worse than Camaro due to bed in the back.

[Jamie]

Balance different maybe?

I would say probably worse than Camaro due to bed in the back.

With no load in the rear, the utes are rather light in the tail.

Edited June 28, 2013 by JamesB

[Jamie]

Considering that other than the camber settings and disabling the speed limiter, the ute was a showroom specification SS-V Redline, the time is astounding.

There's also a lot of speculation about what sort of time a manual gearbox version with a 'Ring Specialist driver like Haust von Sauma or Sabine Schmitz at the wheel, would be capable of.

Edited June 28, 2013 by JamesB

[Z-06]

So it is not a LS3 but the 6.0L truck engine making ~350hp and yet pushing aside the 425 hp SS? That is sweet James.

Again, why is this vehicle not here?

[Camino LS6]

Good question.

[Jamie]

So it is not a LS3 but the 6.0L truck engine making ~350hp and yet pushing aside the 425 hp SS? That is sweet James.

Again, why is this vehicle not here?

The Auto models have L76 engines and the manual models have L98 engines.

Engine specifications on the SS-V Redline Auto:

6.0L Generation IV Alloy V8 Engine 260kW (6-speed Automatic)

260kW 6.0L 90-degree OHV V8. Cross flow cylinder heads. Twin knock control sensors. On-board diagnostics. Active Fuel Management (AFM).

[J Reinhardt]

Thanks for posting this. Very entertaining. Rob Trubiani's steering inputs were so smooth during that ring run. By watching the cockpit video, you'd be surprised he was driving truck.