Power Laps

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Power Laps is a segment of the BBC2 motoring programme Top Gear, in which The Stig completes a lap around the Top Gear test track to gauge the performance of various cars.

The car raced by the Stig is usually a car that was reviewed by one of the presenters that episode, but sometimes it is a car reviewed from a previous programme. There are two separate lists, one for production cars and one for non-production cars.

There is a separate unofficial board of times for non-production car times. The qualifications for the normal Power Lap Board is that the car being tested must be a road-worthy car.^[1] For example, the Ariel Atom managed to squeak by onto the Power Lap board only because it could get over a speed bump.^[2] The three times include:

1. 0:31.2 – BAE Sea Harrier
2. 0:59.0 – Renault R24 Formula 1 Car
3. 1:08.6 – Aston Martin DBR9

Note: The following laps were clocked with the tested vehicle configured for maximum performance. That is to say, all adjustable suspensions were set at their most efficient, all gear shift maps were at their most aggressive, and driving aids such as traction control were deactivated. These lap times do not offer entirely reliable comparisons between the cars - the conditions are far from controlled.

[edit] The Power Board

1:17.6 – Koenigsegg CCX (w/TG Wing) 1:18.4 – Pagani Zonda F 1:18.9 – Maserati MC12 1.19.0 – Enzo Ferrari 1:19.5 – Ariel Atom 2 300 1:19.8 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 1:19.8 – Porsche Carrera GT 1:20.4 – Koenigsegg CCX (Original)[3][4] 1:20.7 – Ascari KZ1 1:20.9 – Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 1:21.9 – Ford GT 1:22.3 – Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale 1:22.3 – Porsche 911 GT3 RS 1:22.4 – Chevrolet Corvette Z06 1:22.5 – Noble M15 1:22.6 – Westfield XTR2[3] 1:22.9 – Ferrari F430 F1 1:23.2 – Ferrari F430 Spider F1 1:23.7 – Lamborghini Murciélago 1:23.8 – Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3[5] 1:23.9 – Koenigsegg CC8S 1:24.3 – Prodrive P2 1:24.6 – TVR Sagaris 1:24.8 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-400 1:24.8 – TVR Tuscan Mk.II 1:25.0 – Noble M12 GTO-3R 1:25.1 – Lotus Exige S 1:25.7 – Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder 1:25.8 – Lamborghini Gallardo[6] 1:25.9 – Morgan Aero 8 GTN 1:26.0 – BMW Z4 M Roadster 1:26.0 – Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-320 1:26.2 – BMW M5 1:26.2 – BRABUS SV12 S Biturbo 1:26.4 – Lotus Exige[5] 1:26.7 – Porsche Cayman S 1:26.8 – Chevrolet Corvette 1:26.8 – Ferrari 575M Maranello HGTC

1:26.9 – Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG 1:27.1 – Aston Martin Vanquish S 1:27.1 – Aston Martin DB9 1:27.2 – Porsche 911 GT3[6] 1:27.3 – Spyker C8 Spyder 1:27.5 – TVR T350c 1:27.9 – Wiesmann MF 3 1:28.0 – BMW M3 CSL[6] 1:28.0 – Roush Mustang Stage III 1:28.2 – Marcos TSO GT2 1:28.5 – Dodge Viper SRT-10[6] 1:28.6 – MG XPower SV 1:28.7 – Porsche Boxster S 1:28.9 – Porsche 911 Carrera S[7] 1:28.9 – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII[3][8] 1:29.0 – Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG 1:29.0 – Alpina Z8 Roadster[6] 1:29.0 – Lamborghini Murciélago[5][3][9] 1:29.4 – Subaru Impreza WRX STi WR-1 1:30.0 – Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 3.7 1:30.0 – Ford Shelby GT500 1:30.1 – Subaru Impreza WRX STi[3][8] 1:30.1 – Vauxhall Monaro VXR 1:30.4 – Aston Martin DB7 GT 1:30.4 – Volkswagen Golf R32 2005 1:30.9 – Audi S4 quattro 4.2 1:31.0 – Porsche 911 Turbo[6] 1:31.4 - Audi TT II 2.0T 1:31.3 – Vauxhall VX220 Turbo 1:31.6 – Honda NSX Type-R[6] 1:31.8 – BMW M3 1:31.8 – BMW 535d 1:31.8 – Nissan 350Z 1:31.8 – Mazda RX-8 1:31.9 – BMW 130i 1:32.2 – Ford Focus RS 1:32.2 – Mazda6 MPS 1:32.5 – Lotus Esprit V8

1:32.5 – Renaultsport Mégane 225 Cup 1:32.7 – Audi TT 3.2 quattro 1:32.8 – Modernized Jaguar E-Type 1:32.8 – Facelifted Honda Civic Type-R 1:32.9 – SEAT León Cupra R 1:32.9 – Mercedes-Benz SLK350 1:33.0 – Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG[6] 1:33.0 – Vauxhall Astra VXR 1:33.1 – Noble M12 GTO[6] 1:33.3 – Volkswagen Golf R32 2003 1:33.3 – Cadillac CTS-V[6] 1:33.7 – MG ZT 260 1:33.8 – Renaultsport Clio 182 Cup 1:33.9 – Holden Monaro[6] 1:34.0 - Renaultsport Mégane 225 1:34.2 – MINI Cooper S Works 1:34.5 – Ford Mondeo ST220 1:34.7 – Jaguar XKR[10] 1:34.9 – Ford Focus ST[11] 1:35.0 – Volvo S60 R 1:35.1 – Volkswagen Golf GTI 1:35.2 – Ferrari 575M Maranello[7][3] 1:35.3 – Vauxhall Vectra VXR 1:35.6 – Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 1:35.6 – Lotus Elise[6] 1:35.8 – Citroën C4 VTS 1:36.2 – Aston Martin V12 Vanquish[7][3] 1:36.2 – Renault Clio[7] 1:36.5 – Honda Civic Type-R 1:36.9 - Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2 1:37.0 – Porsche Boxster[6] 1:37.3 – BMW Z4 3.0i[6] 1:37.4 – Honda S2000[6] 1:37.9 – Saab 9-5 HOT Aero 1:38.0 – Maserati Coupé Cambiocorsa[6] 1:39.4 – Bowler Wildcat 1:40.8 – Bentley Arnage T[6] 1:44.0 – Overfinch 580 S[6] 1:46.0 – Aston Martin DB5

Note: The most powerful production car ever featured on Top Gear, the 1001 bhp (746 kW) Bugatti Veyron, has not yet been taken around the track by the Stig. According to Hammond and Clarkson, this is because Bugatti has not given Top Gear permission to run the car through a power lap (yet).^[12]

The presenters joke about Koenigsegg being too difficult to spell and pronounce, so they used extra long magnetic strips to write the times for these cars on. Koenigsegg was intentionally misspelt in an exaggerated fashion as Koenignogseggseggseggggabbaseggviking. Both Koenigseggs on the power board have long strips, with slightly different spelling on each.

[edit] References

edit Top Gear
Top Gear (1977 to 2001) - Top Gear (2002 to present)
Original format presenters
Jason Barlow - Steve Berry - Julia Bradbury - Jeremy Clarkson - Vicki Butler-Henderson - Brendan Coogan - Noel Edmonds - Chris Goffey - Kate Humble Tony Mason - James May - Tiff Needell - Michele Newman - Angela Rippon - Quentin Willson - William Woollard
Current format presenters
Jeremy Clarkson - Jason Dawe - Richard Hammond - James May - The Stig
Current format episodes and broadcasters
Top Gear Episode List - Top Gear Broadcasters and Video Releases
Current format featured segments
Power Laps - Races - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car - The Cool Wall - Caravan destruction - Cheap Car Challenges
Spin-offs
Rally Report - Top Gear Motorsport - Stars in Fast Cars - Top Gear of the Pops
Related articles
Top Gear Magazine - Jon Bentley - Fifth Gear