Ford’s Transit SuperVan 4.2 isn’t your common supply van. It’s a 2,000 horsepower electrical monster that simply lapped Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:48.393, faster than supercars just like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X and Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Twenty years in the past a Prime Gear episode planted the seed for this insanity. Sabine Schmitz, a Nürburgring legend, stated she might lap the monitor sooner in a Ford Transit than Jeremy Clarkson did in a Jaguar S-Sort. Her try timed 10:08, which was an excellent effort, however not fairly sufficient. Quick ahead to 2025, and the corporate determined to honor Schmitz’s spirit. With Romain Dumas on the wheel, the SuperVan 4.2 smashed Schmitz’s time by over three minutes.
Three electrical motors produce 2,000 horsepower, propelling its 4,400 pound body with the ferocity of a rocket. Slick racing tires, that are banned on public roads, grip the tarmac like glue, whereas aerodynamic changes channel air to maintain the van planted at 162 mph. Each part, from the suspension to the powertrain, is a particular Ford Efficiency product designed to push EV expertise to the restrict.
Recent from a category win at Pikes Peak in 2023 and a blistering run at Goodwood in Ford’s F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, Romain Dumas is aware of find out how to deal with highly effective EVs. Onboard footage reveals the SuperVan screaming by way of the 73 turns of the Nürburgring, barely slowing down because it hits 260 kph (161 mph) on the straights.
How does a van beat automobiles just like the Corvette ZR1X (6:49.275) or the Mustang GTD (6:52.072)? It begins with energy. The SuperVan’s 2,000 horsepower is greater than double the 815 hp of the Mustang GTD and the 1,064 hp of the ZR1X. The SuperVan’s physique, whereas Transit-inspired, is sculpted to chop by way of air and generate downforce, preserving it glued to the monitor.
The SuperVan’s time of 6:48.393 is ninth on the non-road-legal record on the Nürburgring, behind the Volkswagen ID.R’s electrical document of 6:05.336 set in 2019. It’s not chasing the present document holder, the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo which did 5:19 in 2018. However for a supply van to beat supercars just like the Lamborghini Huracan Performante and Mercedes-AMG GT Black Sequence is simply mad.
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