Isle Of Man Lap Times Are The New Ring Times. Maybe.

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

If Ring times have joined skidpad numbers and 0-50 times in the trash can of marketing history, what’s next? Subaru thinks they have the answer. A mostly stock United-States-spec STI (hmm, why a US-spec car in Europe, I wonder?) broke the twenty-minute mark around the Isle of Man course to set lap records on two consecutive days.

To see the car that used to hold the record, click the jump.

As with the ‘Ring “record”, the Isle of Man TT “record” had some humble and uncertain beginnings. To be precise, the “record” was set by a fellow running a Rover 827 around. We knew the Rover 827 as the “Sterling 827” in the United States. Basically, it was a first-gen Acura Legend with super-cool wood trim that fell off as you were having it loaded onto the tow truck for another fresh-transmission dealer trip. Here’s an example of one:

You get the idea, right? This was a racer having some fun. By contrast, the new “record” was set by a full factory race effort, complete with photographers and the inevitable video. So, just so we are currently clear on things, I’ve created this chart.

Isle Of Man Lap Times, Ranked

1. Subaru STi, 19:37


2. Old Acura Legend With Wood Trim, About 21 Minutes

I think Trackpedia should use this chart immediately so I can charge royalties.

The fastest motorcycles, by the way, are about two minutes faster. Will IoM TT laptimes become the new hotness? Don’t bet on it. To begin with, the “course” is only periodically available, since most of the time it is used to carry sheep to market. Furthermore, unlike the Ring, people actually live on the course. Cars have much more kinetic energy than motorcycles. The first time somebody puts a GT-R though some innocent pensioner’s front door at 185MPH, the party will be over.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • SCE to AUX The fix sounds like a bandaid. Kia's not going to address the defective shaft assemblies because it's hard and expensive - not cool.
  • Analoggrotto I am sick and tired of every little Hyundai Kia Genesis flaw being blown out of proportion. Why doesn't TTAC talk about the Tundra iForce Max problems, Toyota V35A engine problems or the Lexus 500H Hybrid problems? Here's why: education. Most of America is illiterate, as are the people who bash Hyundai Kia Genesis. Surveys conducted by credible sources have observed a high concentration of Hyundai Kia Genesis models at elite ivy league universities, you know those places where students earn degrees which earn more than $100K per year? Get with the program TTAC.
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  • Ted “the model is going to be almost 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider than its predecessor”Size matters. In this case there is 6” too much.
  • JMII Despite our past experience with Volvo my wife wants an EX30 badly. Small, upscale, minimalist EV hatch is basically her perfect vehicle.
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