Nurburgring Records: One fast lap to rule them all

Nurburgring Records: One fast lap to rule them all

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‍Of all the things that make up a true performance car, four key aspects can’t be overlooked. Firstly, acceleration—the 0-100km/h time—is a defining benchmark that gives owners the ultimate in bragging rights at the traffic lights or when gathered around the fire with friends. Secondly, it must be able to glide through corners and have enough substance to be more than just fast in a straight line. At the same time, it must be safe, being able to protect its occupants, especially on the track where speeds can become absurd, simply because where there’s power and speed, safety is mandatory. ‍

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Lastly, a true performance car must have a track record of attempting to conquer the 20.8-kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife in order to cement its place as a performance icon. Why, you ask? Well, the ‘Green Hell’ has always been a proving ground for manufacturers to showcase their builds, and while not every car will set lap records, their ability to perform at the demanding tracks of the world further proves greatness. And so, different vehicle manufacturers have all used the circuit as a stage in a bid to find out who laps the track faster than the other. They all did it, each competing for the title of the fastest lap time in a production car. This feature explores some of the legendary records set—and broken—on this unforgiving circuit.‍

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Mercedes-AMG One 

While Mercedes-AMG has taken several cars to the Nurburgring, it’s the AMG One that stood out. It shocked the automotive world by clinching the production lap record from Porsche and then surpassing its feat (previously 6:30.705). This time around, Maro Angel, a DTM racer who set the previous record, was at the helm of the hybridised supercar. It blistered around the 20km long track in a time of 6:29:090 seconds, and currently, it holds the distinction as the fastest road-legal sports car around 'The Ring’. 

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While all 275 units of the AMG One have been sold before launch, it is just further proof of how manufacturers can bridge the divide between Formula 1 technology and road car practicality. This is thanks to a combination of a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine directly derived from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 car, complemented by four electric motors. The power output from both setups is staggering: 782kW, a 0-100km/h of 2.9 seconds, a top speed of 352km/h and a 4Matic+ system. This gives us a glimpse of what the future of high-performance cars can be: sustainable, hybridised, and extremely capable. 

Rimac Nevera

Electric cars needn’t be dull just because they fall outside of the conventional spectrum. To prove just how capable and dynamic they can be despite being ‘cars without engines,' Rimac, the Croatian hypercar maker, took it to the Nurburgring in 2023, months after the same car smashed 23 records in one day. Driven by Croatian racing driver Martin Kodrić, the Nevera raced around the ‘Green Hell’ fitted with Michelin Cup2R tyres in a time of 7:05:298 seconds, thus dethroning the previous record set by the Tesla Model S Plaid by 20 seconds. 

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Deemed as the most exciting and capable, and as menacing as it is intriguing in the flesh, it means business in the figures department. Think on it: a 120kWh battery pack feeds power to four electric motors that generate 1,427kW and an earth-shaking 2,350Nm of torque for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 1.9 seconds. Impressive, and if we were to put that into perspective, your neural network would struggle for a moment to process what’s going on when accelerating. This is just more proof that EVs can be exciting, capable, and all things but boring. 

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 

Pictures don’t do justice to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and you might need to see it in the metal or drive it to appreciate what it brings to its respective market. Porsche wanted to make a race car for the road that is inspired by motorsport and has also been engineered for user-friendliness and accessibility while being able to lap the Nurburgring faster than you can read this feature. It worked. 

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In 2022, Porsche took its 911 GT3 RS to the ‘Green Hell,’ and it blistered around in 6:49.328 seconds, even in less-than-ideal weather conditions. While this time is slightly slower than the 6:43 time set by the previous-generation GT2 RS, it’s an astounding 10.6 seconds quicker than the standard 911 GT3. Besides featuring a host of aerodynamic features, it’s what powers it that stands out for us. A naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-6 engine that is capable of revving to the 9,000r/min mark and pumps 386kW and 465Nm while shifting through a 7-speed DCT gearbox. It’s when you look at these figures and what the car can do that you get to revel in the fact that, despite the electrification threat, cars like the 911 GT3 RS still have relevance. 

BMW M4 CSL 

Competition, sport, and lightweight. Just what the BMW M4 CSL stands for as a nod to the 1973 CSL championship-winning homologation legend that solidified BMW’s motorsport legacy. As such, it does what its CSL designation suggests, and it’s arguably the greatest M car to ever come out of Munich. Yes, the GTS and CS are impressive, but this is what an M car should be. It’s a proper track car that’s not just lightweight but capable, a fact proven at the Nurburgring. 

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BMW took it to the challenging iconic track, and it managed to set a new record in the middle-class sports car segment with a time of 7:18.137 seconds, subsequently making it the fastest M car to ever go around the circuit. This wasn’t the first time BMW did this; in 2022, the car did 7:20.207 seconds around The Ring. It’s powered by a 3.0-litre in-line straight-6 engine that is based on the same powerplant that powers the formidable M4 GT3 racer but tuned to develop 404kW and 650Nm. It’s not slow. It’s 0-100km/h is dispatched in 3.7 seconds, all managed by an 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox before maxing out at 307km/h. Just looking at the M4 CSL, you can't help but appreciate what it brings to the fight, especially in an era increasingly dominated by electrification and digital interfaces.

Tesla Model S Plaid

In the realm of EVs, Tesla is regarded as the pioneer and a disruptor in the automotive industry, as it has been at the forefront of doing whatever it takes to make its electrification work. For example, the Model S Plaid with the Track Package set the record for the production of electric cars at the Nurburgring back in 2023 with a time of 7:25.231 minutes before getting dethroned by the Rimac Nevera a few months after that. The Tesla had snatched the title from Porsche’s electric 911 Taycan Turbo S by 8.1 seconds. 

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The last time Tesla took the Model S Plaid to the Nurburgring was in 2019, recording a time of 7:35 seconds. The upgrades and efforts that followed paid off. At the same time, the latest time matches that of the ICE-powered Ferrari Enzo hypercar that was tested on the same track in 2008. 

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The list of cars that have been to the Nurburgring is quite lengthy and filled with impressive times. For some manufacturers, it’s not about proving a point about which car is the quickest; instead, they use the circuit to develop and fine-tune new products. The track’s combination of corners, elevation changes, and long straights allows manufacturers to test the cars in real-world-like conditions. That aside, The Ring remains a battlefield for speed records for vehicles ranging from hypercars and SUVs to electric vehicles, and every second shaved off a lap becomes something to brag about.

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