112 0306 Speeding Shootout The Performance Tests Z 600 Foot Slalom Test Results
600-foot Slalom
Just drive around the cones as fast as you can, right? Yes--and no. Try cracking off six perfect, consecutive, emergency lane-changes at freeway speeds (some well above) with a margin of error at less than one inch. Sure, this sounds challenging until one realizes each cone arrives at less than a one-second interval--the whole thing takes less than six seconds in these vehicles. This is the one test that best reveals a car's evil side. A propensity to push, get loose, or even spin is ever more apparent when all four tires are howling at, in some cases, 80 mph. That's right, the speeds listed above are timed averages between the entry and exit markers along the 600-foot course--not how fast the car is actually traveling along its curvy line, which is, in fact, much faster. The previous record holder was a particularly well-sorted '97 Dodge Viper GTS at a speed of 73.6 mph. This year, an all-time record was set by--what else?--the Mosler. Honorable mention for the amazing Mitsubishi, which clawed its way to a supercar speed of 71.4 mph. Only the Mercedes-Benz was shackled by an intrusive (undefeatable) electronic stability program. German nannies are the biggest buzz-kills.
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