The wish list of vehicles to run at Lightning Lap starts long but quickly shrinks as the excuses start to roll in. Vehicle availability and timing are major factors. Sometimes, Lightning Lap comes too early, and a car hasn't landed in the press fleet or at dealers. Recent years have brought supply-chain issues, which have led to even more no-shows. And there's always the chance that the car earmarked for us to lap at Virginia International Raceway gets damaged in transit or by someone who exceeded their limits. Unfortunately, that happens more often than you might think.

In the weeks leading up to our 17th pilgrimage to VIR, we realized our group of 12 vehicles had room to grow. So, after getting a no from Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Rimac, and Aston Martin, we expanded our horizons. This led us to a couple of race cars: the Subaru WRX Airslayer Gymkhana machine and the darling of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the NASCAR-based Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro. And we invited a motorcycle -- the BMW M 1000 RR -- and a pro rider to see how a performance street bike would do against the year's fastest things on four wheels.
The contenders:
Honda Civic Si https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a46575063/2023-honda-civic-si-lightning-lap-2024/
Subaru BRZ (modified) https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46767987/2023-subaru-brz-limited-brake-tire-upgrades/
Kia EV6 GT https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a46575098/2023-kia-ev6-gt-lightning-lap-2024/
Acura Integra Type S https://www.caranddriver.com...