You may already be aware that I have a lengthy list of automotive aspirations that I hope to accomplish in my lifetime. There are numerous vehicles to operate and race tracks to encounter. If I had to narrow it down, I could easily choose one course from the following continents: Nordschleife (Europe), Laguna Seca (North America), Tsukuba (Asia), and Mount Panorama (Australia).
My fondness for Mount Panorama stems from a game called Toca Race Driver 3. Need for Speed lost its appeal for me after Underground 2. It was the Codemasters game that kept me engaged for several years before transitioning to Assetto Corsa. The thrill of racing V8 Supercars around Bathurst intensified my adrenaline like few things before. It’s no surprise that I hold such affection for it, especially considering that even Kevin Estre noted its similarities to the Green Hell. In 2018, Estre completed a sub-7-minute lap around the Nordschleife in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
But that’s not the focus at the moment. Australia’s Mount Panorama Circuit is a 3.861-mile (6.123 km) track that demands a potent combination of skill and bravery. Top speeds can exceed 186 mph (300 kph), and drivers must navigate through 23 corners while contending with a 571 ft (174 m) vertical difference between the lowest and highest points. The track can become narrow very quickly, especially at high speeds, and the downhill sections pose challenges for both man and machine.
The track has been in existence for nearly a century, but its most recent record-breaker dates back even further in history. Mercedes celebrated its 130th anniversary in motorsport- some car manufacturers haven’t been around that long. For the Bathurst 12 Hour race, Mercedes-AMG embarked on an exhilarating challenge. They placed Jules Gounon behind the wheel of an unrestricted 650-hp GT3 car, and the French driver delivered.
Gounon shattered the track record twice on Friday, but he wasn’t satisfied with that. Early Saturday morning, he gave it his all and clocked in at 1:56.605. That translates to an average speed of 119.19 mph (191.82 kph). I’ve included two videos of his drive: one showcasing the POV perspective and another capturing the action from outside the car. Watching him reach speeds of 191 mph (308 kph) makes me yearn for a virtual lap- that’s the effect it has on me, at least.
Most of the previous lap records were set by drivers from either New Zealand or Australia, and Shane van Gisbergen’s lap from 2016 was roughly five seconds slower. I believe SVG would also relish the opportunity to drive an unrestricted GT3 car. Now, I’m off to play some Gran Turismo 7; this news has definitely heightened my excitement just from hearing the V8 engine sounds.
According to the Source autoevolution.com