Germany’s famed Nurburgring Nordschleife is among the most technical and harmful race tracks on the planet, so naturally it’s the place the place the world’s automotive manufacturers come to develop their upcoming fashions – in addition to competing for the title of ‘quickest across the ‘Ring’.

UPDATE, 23/08/2023 – We have now up to date the report occasions as of August 2023, together with extra classes akin to tremendous sports activities vehicles and electrical car data.

Lately it appears Nurburgring lap occasions have virtually been as essential as releasing new fashions, as producers struggle for bragging rights across the ‘Inexperienced Hell’.

The Mercedes-AMG One has toppled the Porsche 911 GT2 RS with Manthey Efficiency Equipment, with a lap time of 6:35.183 on the Nordschleife.

That’s an enchancment of 8.0 seconds on the earlier report – a major margin.

The earlier report holder, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS with Manthey Efficiency Equipment, set a lap time of 6:43.30.

Right here’s a listing of the present Nurburgring manufacturing automobile report holders from the race monitor’s official web site:

• Compact Automobiles: Audi RS3 sedan – 7:40.748 minutes (2021, video right here)
• Mid-range Automobiles: BMW M4 CSL – 7:20:207 minutes (2022, video right here)
• Govt Automobiles: Mercedes-AMG GT63 S 4-Door – 7:27.800 minutes (2020, video right here)
• Electrical Automobiles: Porsche Taycan Turbo S with Efficiency equipment – 7:33.350 minutes (2022, video right here)
• SUVs, off-road autos, vans, pick-ups: Porsche Cayenne Coupe efficiency mannequin – 7:38.925 minutes (2021, video right here)
• Sports activities Automobiles: Porsche 911 GT2 RS with Manthey Efficiency Equipment – 6:43.30 (2021, video right here)
• Tremendous sports activities vehicles: Mercedes-AMG one – 6:35:183 (2022, video right here)
• Electrical supercars and hypercars: Rimac Nevera – 7:05.298 (2023, video right here)

There’s additionally a ‘Prototypes’ class for non-production fashions like race vehicles and pre-production ideas, listed below are three benchmark occasions set by three very completely different prototype autos:

• Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo (all-time report) – 5:19.546 minutes (2018, video right here)
• Volkswagen ID.R (electrical report) – 6:05.336 minutes (2019, video right here)
• Lynk & Co 03 Cyan idea (FWD + four-door report) – 7:20.143 (2019, video right here)

Given the extraordinarily aggressive nature of those lap occasions, Nurburgring report makes an attempt don’t come with out their controversies.

It’s widespread apply for producers to suit autos with racing seats and track-focused tyres on record-attempting autos, main many to query the validity of lap occasions particularly if the mannequin isn’t accessible to the general public with comparable specs.

Probably one of many greatest media storms of late got here in 2017 when Lamborghini Huracan Performante claimed to be the quickest manufacturing automobile across the ‘Ring, although naysayers accused the Raging Bull of cropping its on-board video of the record-breaking lap on the time, which was 6:51.01 minutes.

The manufacturing automobile report set by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR additionally got here underneath hearth, because the modifications over the ‘customary’ GT2 RS had been achieved by Manthey Racing, which means the record-holding automobile isn’t wholly an in-house job by Porsche.

Regardless, there’s little question we’ll proceed to see producers shave earlier seconds off these Nurburgring lap occasions within the years to return. With vehicles regularly getting quicker and extra aerodynamic, maybe we’d see manufacturing vehicles crack the six-minute barrier prior to we expect.