What is World Time Attack?

The core intention of time attack is to test which garages build the best street tuner cars, though this has evolved in time. Today there are classes for true street-driven vehicles, while the top Unlimited classes feature purpose-built cars never designed for anything else bar one flying lap.
Because the intention of time attack was to test street cars, time attack cars have traditionally run street-legal semi-slick tyres and not purpose-made racing slicks (which are worth seconds-per-lap over road-legal tyres). Some time attack competitions now allow their Unlimited class cars to run slicks in the interests of safety, as the extreme load from the downforce simply overwhelms street tyres and causes them to blow out.

Many of these Unlimited class cars now feature aerodynamic packages designed by aerodynamicists with experience in Formula One and other top-tier motorsports. Without rules constraining aero design this has led to time attack pushing aerodynamic packages on cars past anything seen in any other form of racing, making Unlimited class time attack cars strikingly different to look at. However, these cars have to retain the loose silhouette of a production car commonly available to the public, and this is where many time attack fans are built. As the people in the stands can relate to the cars they are seeing knock out ridiculously fast lap times.