Top 10 cars that smashed the Nurburgring lap times
When we talk of famous racing circuits across the world, one name that tops the list is Nurburgring in Germany. The 20.8km long track with more than 300 metres of elevation from the lowest to the highest points is considered as one of the most challenging circuits in the world. Also called the Green Hell, the Nurburgring has been a testing ground for many automobile manufacturers who have been trying to push the performance benchmark with their newer, faster and more powerful vehicles. We have compiled a list of ten fastest cars who have set the fastest lap record on the famous race track.
1) Nio EP9 - 6:45:90If your heart churns out 1,360PS and generates a monstrous 6,333Nm, you are almost flying and not just running on the street. The Nio EP9 that has been developed by the Chinese startup NextEV has its headquarters based out of Silicon Valley.The compay plans to bring autonomous electric vehicles in the U.S. market in 2020. The Nio EP9 supercar's carbon-fibre tub mounted on the chassis complies with the FIA LMP1 standards for electric sportscars. As officially claimed, the Nio EP9 can reach 200kmph in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 312kmph. Last year, the Nio EP9 lapped the famous Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 5 seconds, making it the fastest electric car on this track. However, it was done in wet conditions. This time around with the weather in their favour, the Nio EP9 lapped the circuit in 6:45:90. That's seriously quick!
From the image below, it might look that the Radical SR8LM is not a street-legal car. However, it is. Made by British manufacturer, Radical Sportscars, the SR8LM was powered by a 2800cc motor. This engine was developed using Suzuki's in-line four-cylinder unit of the Hayabusa that made 455PS of power. The sportscar set the record of covering the 20.8km track in 6:48:00 in 2009.
The Lamborghini Huracan Performante runs a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 which produces 640PS of power at 8,000rpm and 600Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. This is 40PS and 40Nm more than the standard Lamborghini Huracan Coupe. With a kerb weight of 1,382kg, the Huracan Performante is also 40kg lighter than the standard car, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 463.1PS per tonne. The reduction in weight is due to the use of forged composite in structural components like the front and rear spoilers, the engine bonnet as well as the rear bumper and diffuser. The Huracan Performante's suspension has been stiffened by 10 per cent over the standard car, and the electromechanical steering system has been reworked for better response.
Similar to the SR8LM, this Radical built sportscar was a road-legal sports car. Doing duty under the skin of this performance machine was a 2.6-litre V8 unit that was built in-house by Powertec. This motor put out 360PS at 10,500rpm. During one of the test runs, the Radical SR touched a maximum speed of 260kmph. And the reason for the car to do so was its impressive aerodynamics that generated a higher downforce to make sure all the power generated is transferred on the tarmac as well. Radical had particularly worked on the dampening of the SR to make it feel extremely agile around corners on a race track. All of that helped the Radical SR to lap the Ring in less than 7 minutes.
Back in 2013, Porsche took its most ambitiously built 918 Spyder to the Green Hell to test the ultimate limits of this supercar and also to push to challenge the record that was set by McLaren. In control of the Porsche 918 Spyder was Marc Lieb, the German brand's factory motor-racing driver who had already established himself at the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Porsche 918 has a naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 motor that puts out 608PS. In addition, there are two electric motors that help the powertrain develop 279PS to make a combined output of 887PS. Porsche claims that the 918 Spyder can reach a speed of up to 340kmph. A limited edition offering, Porsche sold precisely 918 units of this hypercar till December 2014. It was priced at US$847,000 that is equivalent to present day Rs 5.42 crore.
The Lamborghini that entered the sub-7 minute to lap the Nurburgring circuit was the Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce. In its stock form, the LP 750-4 Superveloce was running on Pirelli P Zero Corsa street tyres. There is no information of the person behind the wheel of the Lambo but it is said that the driver was one of Pirelli's. It is known that if a Lamborghini calls its car Superveloce, it is one of the extreme specimens of the Italian exotic carmaker. The LP 750-4 SV was powered by 739PS motor that had a claimed 0 to 100kmph acceleration of 2.8 seconds and a maximum speed of 349kmph. Lamborghini had brought down the weight by 50kg to make it more agile and responsive than before. The company had made 600 specimens of the Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce
It is not possible to make a list of fastest cars on the Nurburgring track without mentioning a Japanese make. The pinnacle of the Japanese brand's technological innovation, the Nissan GT-R has always been seen as the car that was born for the Green Hell. It is believed that Nissan specifically tuned the GT-R Nismo for the Ring with softer dampening and 50kg reduction in weight over the regular model. The V6 , 3.8-liter motor in the GT-R Nismo churned out an impressive 600PS/652Nm. Making the Nismo edition lighter compared to the regular are the carbon fiber front and rear bumpers paired with the lightweight alloy wheels.
When the Mercedes-AMG GT-R debuted in that crazy green shade, there was a lot of talk about it's insane performance. German magazine Sport Auto, who have had a rep of testing cars on the ring, took the AMG GT-R to Nordschleife. The supercar was running on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Powering the AMG GT-R was the twin-turbo 4-liter V8 that made 577PS of power and generated 700Nm of torque between 1,900 to 5,500 rpm. The AMG GT-R that raced on the track was equipped with a tricked up suspension setup with nine way adjustable traction control, active aerodynamics and a four wheel steering.
The unconventional design of the Gumpert Apollo Speed might not make it the ideal bedroom poster but the moment you hear it idle or rev on the street, you will change your views of the same. The German automobile brand manufacturers the Apollo Speed for a period of seven years from 2005 to 2012. It came with a twin-turbocharged 4.2-litre V8 motor sourced from Audi that produced 800PS of power. Gumpert claimed that the Apollo Speed Race version can reach a top speed of 360.4 km/h and has a 0 to 100kmph acceleration of 3.1seconds.
The Dodge Viper was one of the cult American machines that ever existed. Its flowing design and the monstrous motor under the hood didn't make it like any other sportscar. In 2010. Dodge took the Viper SRT-10 ACR around the race track. The Viper clocked the fastest lap timing for a production car at 7 minutes and 12.13 seconds. This was the second time that the Viper had set a record after its first successful attempt in 2008. The Viper ACR (American Club Racing) was built in line with the regular SRT-10, however the ACR was an extreme version as it was a track ready offering. The 8.4-litre V10 motor produced 600PS and generated 760Nm. Dodge claimed that the Viper SRT-10 ACR could reach 100kmph from standstill in less than 4 seconds.