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- Ford Performance has set two new records at the Nürburgring using its EV prototypes.
- Both ran quicker than an 815-hp Ford Mustang GTD, though there’s not really a comparison as neither is road-legal.
- One of the two, the SuperVan 4.2, is now officially the fastest van around the ‘Ring.
In May of this year, Ford took the Mustang GTD back to the Nürburgring, shaving five seconds off a lap to post up a blistering 6:52.072. Big deal, said the guys who work on Ford Performance’s electrified vehicles. We can do that lap in a van. And they did.With a nod towards the late ‘Ring racing expert Sabine Schmitz, who lit up her Top Gear appearances with enthusiasm and memorable quips, Ford’s EV gurus managed to get a 6:48.2 out of an EV Transit. Well, sort of a Transit. In fact, it was the SuperVan 4.2, a prototype record-setter that set a record at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb two years ago. With racer Romain Dumas (last year’s Pikes Peak winner) at the wheel, the SuperVan unleashed a barrage of 2000 electrified horsepower and slightly clipped the GTD’s wings. Again, sort of. The SuperVan might be an Amazon delivery driver’s ultimate fantasy work vehicle, but unlike the GTD, it is not remotely close to road-legal. It might even be a bit of a stretch to call it a van. As a prototype running slicks, the SuperVan has to content itself with the title of fastest van around the Nürburgring, and seventh-fastest prototype N-Ring lap ever.FordBeating even that was Ford’s Lightning SuperTruck, again with Dumas at the wheel. This managed a 6:43.482, good enough to squeak into the top-five fastest-ever prototype laps at the Nürburgring. Taken together, it’s an impressive feat for Ford Performance, and the onboard video is thrilling. Flat out, both vehicles’ gears climb in pitch into the near-inaudible range, sounding like the whistling of a boiling kettle.Hammering around the Nürburgring setting records is good publicity, but it also allows Ford to test electric powertrains to their limits. Eventually, some of the lessons learned here may trickle down into building a better F-150 Lightning or Transit EV. Will your packages get to you a little quicker in the future? Possibly. Depends on whether Romain Dumas wants to swap his Nomex suit for a blue polo.Related Stories
- 1400-HP Ford SuperVan 4.2 Will Climb Pikes Peak
- F-150 Lightning SuperTruck to Take on Pikes Peak
- Ford Pikes Peak Is a Steroidal Electric Race Car
Brendan McAleerContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Source: caranddriver.com
