Sir Jackie Stewart called the Nürburgring Nordschleife “The Green Hell” after braving 1,000-foot elevation changes, 170 turns, unpredictable rain storms, and thick fog to win the 1968 German Grand Prix. The Nordschleife remains one of the longest and most treacherous. existing race tracks, consisting of fast, narrow straightaways, blind hills, banked turns, and hairpin turns. It is rumored that some drivers spend their entire career mastering the track, and it takes years of practice and familiarization to drive it fast.
The fastest production cars around the Nurburgring
The Nürburgring may be a public toll road, but it’s also a proving ground for today’s fastest and most exotic cars. Plus, the PR aspect is hard to ignore: setting a new lap time on the “Ring” is one of the best marketing strategies for any new high-performance vehicle, including SUVs. In this article, we take a look at the five fastest production cars around the Nürburgring and what it took to rise to the echelons of high-speed royalty.
#5. Lamborghini Huracan Performante
- Time: 6:52.01
- Announced date: March 1, 2017
- Fun fact: Lamborghini was given a window of just 15 minutes to make a go of the Huracán Performante, still in its development camouflage.
What do you expect from a supercar named after a hurricane? The Huracán Performante is a track-ready version of a standard Huracán and was quick enough to knock the Porsche 911 GT3 RS out of the top five fastest production cars around the Nürburgring. It made its official debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in early March of that year; of course, the newly set record at the Nürburgring was an extra feather in Lamborghini’s cap during the press conference.
“Making this happen is something that every member of the R&D team who worked on this car can share,” said Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini’s president and chief executive officer at the time. “It will forever be a defining moment in their careers.”
Equipped with a 5.2-liter V10 engine that makes 631 horsepower and 443 lb-ft. of torque, the Huracán Performante achieved a lap time of 6:52.01 under the command of test driver Marco Mapelli. It also came with Lamborghini’s ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva) aerodynamic system that produces 750 percent more downforce than the original. This short video shows how it works.
#4. Porsche 911 GT2 RS
- Time: 6:47.3
- Announced date: September 27, 2017
- Fun fact: The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is on the cover of Forza 7.
It’s no surprise that German automakers know the Nürburgring better than most. Porsche, in particular, has more 911s on the record lap times list than any other manufacturer with any other car. And in 2017, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS posted a blistering 6:47.3 lap time with driver Lars Kern, putting the Huracán Performante in fifth place.
First seen at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the 911 GT2 RS is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter inline-six engine with 691 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. of torque. It also came with the Weissach package that includes a carbon fiber roof and titanium roll cage to save up to 66 lbs. (30 kg) weight.
#3. Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
- Time: 6:44.97
- Announced date: July 26, 2018
- Fun fact: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires were chosen over the standard Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife may be speaking with a German accent, but it seems the Italians can talk a lot when it comes to speed. Brimming with lightweight carbon fiber and titanium, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (Super Veloce Jota) weighs 110 lbs. (50 kg) less than a stock Aventador S. The Aventador SVJ is also the first production Lamborghini V12 to feature the brand’s ALA system.
The Aventador SVJ has an enormously powerful 6.5-liter V12 that makes 759 horsepower and 531 lb-ft. of torque He smashed the Nürburgring lap time in 2018 by finishing the course in 6.44.97 thanks to the hard efforts of factory test driver Marco Mapelli. Additional support was provided to Mapelli by Lamborghini’s Research and Development team and Pirelli technicians.
#2. Mercedes-AMG GT black series
- Time: 6:43.616
- Announced date: November 17, 2020
- Fun fact: The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series can hit 60 mph in 3.1 seconds.
You can think of the Black Series as the most powerful iteration of any Mercedes-AMG production car. From 2006 to 2012, Mercedes-AMG only released five Black Series models. The sixth and final member of the family is the astonishing Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, a car that posted a Nürburgring lap time of 6:43.616 in 2020 with driver Maro Engel.
“With speeds of up to almost 178mph on the Kesselchen section of the track and over 186mph on the long Döttinger Höhe straight, the AMG GT Black Series is significantly faster than my GT3 race car,” Engel explained after his lap. record. “Like my GT3 race car, the AMG GT Black Series offers many tuning possibilities, all of which allowed me to create a custom setup for myself.”
Capable of spinning at a redline of 7200 rpm, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine makes 720 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque courtesy of a flat-flat crankshaft and larger compressor wheel. “Hats off to the Affalterbach developers for what they have put on wheels here,” added Engel. “And I’m very pleased that I was able to demonstrate these fascinating engineering skills with this great lap time.”
#1. Porsche 911 GT2 RS (Manthey Racing)
- Time: 6:43,300
- Announced date: June 24, 2021
- Fun fact: The front shocks have three different settings, while there are four settings at the rear.
Porsche recently broke the production lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the latest generation 901 series 911 GT2 RS. Partnered with Porsche-owned motorsports team Manthey Racing, and Lars Kern at the wheel, the 911 GT2 RS posted a lap time of 6:43.300 to dethrone the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series as the fastest production car in tour the Nürburgring on June 14, 2021. .
The Manthey Performance Kit from Porsche Tequipment consists of chassis, aerodynamic and brake components specially developed for the 911 GT2 RS. It also includes the light magnesium alloy wheels from the Weissach Package. “The individual components of the Performance Kit are precisely matched to one another,” said Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualization and Classic at Porsche AG. “They only become fully effective when they are all installed together.”
Less than 15 days later, Porsche tried again with its Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe and posted the fastest lap time for a production SUV. The Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe did it in 7:42.253, fast enough for a five-seat family SUV.
Sabine Schmitz: Queen of the Nurburgring
Did you know that the late, great Sabine Schmitz holds the record for driving the fastest seven-seat SUV on the Nordschleife? What’s more impressive is that she did it in an original Skoda Kodiaq RS, the fastest and most expensive Skoda you can buy. It featured Skoda’s most powerful diesel engine, a 2.0-litre twin-turbo unit making 237 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. paired Schmitz and the Skoda had a lap time of 9:29.0, a record that stands to this day.
rest in peaceSabina.
Alvin Reyes is a columnist for Automoblog and an expert on sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics and accounting in his youth and is still very much in love with his old Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
