I'm pretty sure a P71 could do 60. Cooling might be an issue, but we're only talking about a minute.
Photograph Courtesy NCM Motorsports Park
Recently, we asked what was the fastest you have ever driven in reverse. Well, Scot Burner averaged 45 mph–and peaked at 53 mph–across the span of a mile at Kentucky's NCM Motorsports Park in a stock C7 Corvette, earning him the Guinness World Record for “fastest mile driven in reverse.”
Burner had a wealth of experience going backward, having driven cars in reverse at top speed for the past three years and posting about it to his YouTube channel, “Always in Reverse.”
To earn the record, Burner had to run a fairly flat portion of NCM Motorsports Park, where he could not gain an advantage from a downhill section. Prior to his record-breaking run, the longest Burner had ever driven in reverse was about a quarter mile, and he never did backward turns before.
The previous record for fastest mile driven in reverse was 97.02 seconds, set back in 2012. Scot Burner now pushed that mark to 75.18 seconds.
I'm pretty sure a P71 could do 60. Cooling might be an issue, but we're only talking about a minute.
I assume there's a rule requiring a stock production vehicle to be used. An EV with a controller modified to unlock reverse speed and with zero or negative caster would be a huge improvement beyond a stock C7.
If sticking to stock is a must, how about those old CVT Subarus that could go as fast backwards as forwards?
GameboyRMH said:I assume there's a rule requiring a stock production vehicle to be used. An EV with a controller modified to unlock reverse speed and with zero or negative caster would be a huge improvement beyond a stock C7.
If sticking to stock is a must, how about those old CVT Subarus that could go as fast backwards as forwards?
Yes, the car must be stock for the Guinness World Record.
I predict the previous fastest was a 1975 Pontiac Firebird
My car has two reverse gears. This thread reminded me to go look it up.
You can see by this screen clip of the trans spec. the low and high reverse gear ratios.
The high gear in reverse puts it between the 2nd and 3rd gear. That could put me somewhere between 80 and 100 mph. That would be one scary ride.
Is the record from a standing stop averaged over the mile?
Interesting that it was that slow. A late friend/customer of mine managed a little bit faster speed, the bit on the reverse speed is towards the bottom of the article:
https://www.autos.ca/general-news/super-7-challenges-speed-records/
I bought a new Saab 9-5 Aero in 2003, and a free 2-day driving course with Saab-maintained stock Aero cars and conducted by professional race drivers at Road Atlanta came as a bonus. While being schooled on the skid pad, one participant asked if the cars would do 155 as advertised, and the pros all agreed they had driven these cars on the track and confirmed they were assuredly electronically-limited to 155. One of the half dozen pro drivers, being a wild and crazy Italian, can't recall his name, excused himself without saying anything, then reappeared five minutes later in a stock Saab 9-5 Aero, automatic, 4-door sedan...... flying across the (dry) skid pad with the electronic limiter chattering loudly. He returned with a big smile and said "70 MPH rev limited." Might not be certifiable by Guinness, but good enough for me. The Road Atlanta back stretch on the other side of a fence is 5000 feet long, almost a mile, but he said they'd fire him for such a stunt, although the skid pad was entirely reasonable for him somehow.
If we're lucky, maybe Baby Driver will stop by and tell us the fastest he's driven in reverse.
In reply to RoddyMac17 :
I had the pleasure of meeting David Saville Peck at the Knox mountain hillclimb multiple years. A clip of one of his FTD runs (not in reverse though).
https://youtu.be/PyS1ndSgQBo
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