Was watching The Grand Tour and they pitted a beat-up sedan (Renault 9) vs 3 GT cars (BMW 850i, Bentley Continental, Aston DBS) on a 50-mile race across towns, highways, and backroads.

The 55-hp Renault had a 2 minute headstart which you'd expect the GTs (all above 500 hp) to catch - but the reality is that external factors (traffic, speed limits) and driver capability/road knowledge matter infinitely more than how fast your car can go. Net, the beat-up car got to the destination ahead of the GTs.

Which brings me to my point - all the performance mods that people put on their cars will not make them get to their destinations any faster. A Vios can get to Baguio just as quickly as a Supra can, if you push it hard enough.

The advantage of course of having a faster car is that it feels better to drive. Also, if you mod your car right and have the corresponding skills to maximize them, you could shave a few seconds off your lap times (although really, less than 1% of people who mod their cars ever bring them to a track).

A snippet of the Grand Tour mini-segment here:
The Grand Tour: Real World Race - YouTube

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