While Goodwood’s hillclimb 
lap record continues to stand at 41.6 seconds since 1999 (set by Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13), mainly because Formula One cars are no longer allowed to do official timed runs, the benchmark on the longer, Goodwood Circuit has just been shattered by a Lola T70 Spyder. No, that’s not a type, I’m actually talking about the race car the folks over at Lola Cars developed in 1965. For the uninitiated, the T70 went on to become very popular in the 1960s, winning the 1966 Can-Am championship and the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona, among other events.
Speaking of the 1966 Can-Am season, the Lola that set the new lap record at the Goodwood Circuit is the same car that John Surtees drove to victory in five of six races that year. The roadster features the same Chevy V-8 engine and red-and-white livery, with Surtees being the only one missing. Instead, the T70 was driven by Nick Padmore, who lapped the track in one minute and 18.217 seconds at an average speed of 110.46 mph. These are outstanding figures for a race car that’s nearly 50 years old. Not impressed? Would you be if I told you the T70 is four, nine, and 11 seconds quicker than the 2010 Lexus LFA, 2008 Nissan GT-R, and the Porsche 911 GT3, respectively, on the same track?
But enough with the numbers, hit the play button to watch the iconic T70 as it impressed the audience at the 73rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting last month. This is some exciting footage!