Lexmark Indy 300 patrons will be able to compare the speed of three superbly engineered but completely different motor vehicles during a special demonstration lap of the 4.47km Surfers Paradise street circuit.

It is the Team Australia Speed Comparison, which will pit a MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit against a Champ Car and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car over one flying lap of the Lexmark Indy 300 circuit.

The Team Australia Speed Comparison will be held three times during Indy - on Thursday (Oct 19) at 12.55pm, Friday (Oct 20) at 5.15pm and Saturday (Oct 21) at 8.50am.

Lexmark Indy 300 Marketing Manager Greg Price said the Team Australia Speed Comparison would be a tremendous showcase of the speed and handling of three awesome motor vehicles.

“The Team Australia Speed Comparison will be a handicapped one lap race which will see the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit take off on the flying lap first, to be closely followed by a Bob Jane T-Marts backed Carrera Cup Porsche, and then the Team Australia Champ Car chasing the two to the finish line,” said Price.

“Ideally all three cars should cross the finish line together. Last year this Speed Comparison proved to be a big hit with fans especially on Student’s Day Thursday, and looks set to be just as exciting this year thanks to the manufacturers of these vehicles.”

The Champ Car is a purpose-built racecar with a huge 750 horsepower engine and can accelerate from 0 to 100kph in 2.2 seconds. It is an open-wheel, single seat vehicle powered by a turbo-charged 2.65L Ford Cosworth V8 engine.

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car showcases the finest in European engineering. The streamlined and meticulously detailed Porsche moves with such grace that it is easy to forget it packs a powerful 400 horsepower punch at 7,300 rpm which helps it fly from 0 to 100kph in 3.2 seconds. The Porsche in the Team Australia Speed Comparison will be the Bob Jane T-Marts-backed entry in the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup.

The MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit is a registered road car with the capability to race in rallies. The MINI Cooper S has impressive statistics reaching 100kph from a standing start in 6.6 seconds powered by a supercharged 210 horsepower (154 kW) 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, that hits peak power at 6950rpm.

“MINI is excited to be part of the speed comparison. We have just won the Alphera Dutton Rally Victoria outright on handicap beating more than 80 other exotic cars, so we’ll be sure to give patrons a flying lap they’ll remember,” said Justin Hocevar, National Manager MINI.

“With our go-kart style handling, and more than 40 years of motorsport experience we’ll be a mighty presence on the track,” Hocevar said.

The Porsche and MINI Cooper S weigh in at 1,150kg and 1,180kg respectively, but they are both heavier than the Champ Car which weighs in at around 700kg.

The Champ Car is the longest and widest of the three vehicles, at almost two metres wide and five metres long. It would provide a scintillating ride as its highest point is only 81 centimetres above the tarmac and it reaches top speeds in excess of 300kph.

The Porsche Carrera Cup car is slightly smaller than the Champ Car at 1.8 metres wide and 4.3 metres long. The distinctive MINI Cooper S is the smallest of the three at only 3.6 metres long and 1.4 metres wide, but the Mini still rides almost a metre higher than the aerodynamic Champ Car.

The Team Australia Speed Comparison is the only time race fans can see these three unique vehicles hitting the track simultaneously, allowing them to compare the speed and power of the machines with their own eyes.

Tickets for the Lexmark Indy 300 are on sale through Ticketek on phone 1300 303 103, via the event website at www.indy.com.au or at any Ticketek agency.

Pre-purchase ticket holders and corporate pass holders will be able to ‘Ride Free’ on all Surfside Buslines services on the Gold Coast and Queensland Rail Citytrain services from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.