No idea! I would guess the finish isn't in the same place as the start because when the track is open to the public people on the start line would be wiped out by those trying to get over the finish line!
 
That makes sense in a way, but aren't these official timing sessions closed? Like Sport Auto, I reckon they are doing their times on an otherwise empty track......? I didn't watch the entire Cupra vid, but I saw no other cars.

The main question, though, was related to the flying start. How is that governed? Does anyone know?
 
I haven't been to the Ring, nor do I know much about the track itself and how timing is normally done. But is it common to use flying start.......?! And start and finish seem to be different places of the track....?! :confused:

iirc start and finish lines are in different places, hence the "bridge to gantry" term. I remember when I was there you exit the pit lane and the "timed lap" would start a little way down the road before the first corner and ends a way back before the exit point leading onto the track allowing enough time to slow down for the exit lane. All in all you're probably only talking about a few seconds difference between the two places at the speeds these guys are doing. This is of course how i interpret it.
 
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"bridge to gantry" is for public driving as it isn't possible to actually do a full lap on a touristenfahrten day as the Döttinger Höhe straight is split into two (https://goo.gl/maps/MGgyS) forcing cars to stop and leave the circuit. When manufactures/magazines do 'official' times they use the pit garages (https://goo.gl/maps/ytbyU) and the start/finish line there.
 
i do find it quite hard to believe that a so called standard Leon cupra could not only post that time but also improve on other "super car's" times which are more track orintated.
 
I don't find it hard to believe. Its power to weight ratio is over 200bhp per tonne, it has a new chassis, trick diff and good brakes.

Golf R on the track is almost 20 seconds slower with the same engine and 20bhp more, probably due to extra weight and less power going to the wheels.

Challenge for the Leon, on day to day stuff however will be getting all the power down on a wet day.
 
Challenge for the Leon, on day to day stuff however will be getting all the power down on a wet day.

I know this should be taken with a large pinch of salt (as it is Clarkson after all), but he did seem very impressed with the LSD in the performance pack GTI last night.

There is no substitute for 4WD in the wet admittedly, but the Cupra 280 is significantly cheaper after discount and better equipped than the Golf R / S3. At the moment I think it will be the Cupra 280 for me this time around, but I do want to test drive one before deciding.
 
i do find it quite hard to believe that a so called standard Leon cupra could not only post that time but also improve on other "super car's" times which are more track orintated.

Jordi did ALOT of laps thought i bet his first couple of times were alot slower