The current top 10 list of the fastest production models around the fearsome Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany
The Nurburgring Nordschleife is one of the most iconic (and terrifying)
race circuits the world has ever seen. Encasing the vilage of Nurburg
in north west Germany, and surrounded by the Eifel mountains, the
Nordschlefe is nicknamed "The Green Hell" because of its challenging and
often deadly reputation.
It's a fiercely undulating 12.9-mile lap through dense pine forests, with nearly 1000 feet of elevation change. It's also entirely open to the public, but has grown into a favourite proving ground for the world’s car manufacturers. And the Nurburgring lap time has become a key measure by which the fastest performance cars on the planet are judged.
It never takes too long after the covers are drawn back on a new hypercar or extreme track weapon for the question of its Nurburgring time to be raised. How quickly can the newcomer complete a lap of the tortuous circuit and where does that place it in the list of the fastest production laps of all time?
The Nurburgring circuit itself has recently changed hands for £84million, and with a gaggle of insanely powerful new hypercars emerging onto the scene, the list of the top ten fastest Nurburgring lap times could be in for a shake-up.
Below are the fastest Nurburgring Nordschleife laps as they stand now…
10. Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 – 7:22.68
The Corvette C6 Z06 is one rung down the Corvette C6 performance ladder from the ZR1, with ‘only’ 505bhp from its all-American V8 powerplant - but it was only 3 seconds slower around the lap when the cars were tested together in June 2011.
9. Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 – 7:19.63
8. Donkervoort D8 RS – 7:14.89
7. Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package – 7:14.64s
6. Dodge Viper ACR – 7:12.13
5. Gumpert Apollo Sport – 7:11.57s
4. Nissan GT-R Nismo – 7:08.69s
Nissan claims that the 7:08.69s lap time recorded by its monstrous 2015 GT-R Nismo is a Nurburgring lap record for a ‘volume production car’.
It’s certainly a more affordable and usable prospect than the
majority of cars on this list but the record breaking GT-R Nismo was
furnished with various “track options” to save weight and improve
aerodynamics. The Nurburgring lap time is all about bragging rights, so
who can blame Nissan for trying?
3. Lamborghini Aventador SV - 6.59.73s
2. Porsche 918 Spyder (Weissach Package) – 6:57s
1. Radical SR8 LM – 6:48s
By Steve Walker
Horror Crash Nissan GT-R Nismo on the Nürburgring Nordschleife during the VLN endurance series, Recorded 2015-03-28
It's a fiercely undulating 12.9-mile lap through dense pine forests, with nearly 1000 feet of elevation change. It's also entirely open to the public, but has grown into a favourite proving ground for the world’s car manufacturers. And the Nurburgring lap time has become a key measure by which the fastest performance cars on the planet are judged.
It never takes too long after the covers are drawn back on a new hypercar or extreme track weapon for the question of its Nurburgring time to be raised. How quickly can the newcomer complete a lap of the tortuous circuit and where does that place it in the list of the fastest production laps of all time?
The Nurburgring circuit itself has recently changed hands for £84million, and with a gaggle of insanely powerful new hypercars emerging onto the scene, the list of the top ten fastest Nurburgring lap times could be in for a shake-up.
Below are the fastest Nurburgring Nordschleife laps as they stand now…
10. Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 – 7:22.68
The Corvette C6 Z06 is one rung down the Corvette C6 performance ladder from the ZR1, with ‘only’ 505bhp from its all-American V8 powerplant - but it was only 3 seconds slower around the lap when the cars were tested together in June 2011.
9. Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 – 7:19.63
The Corvette C6 ZR1 is a car with a 638bhp V8 and Nurburgring pedigree that you can pick up for a fraction of the price of most European supercars, but that didn’t stop it showing them the way around the Nordschleife with a 7:19.63s lap in 2012.
The Donkervoort D8 RS (D8 GT pictured) looks like a Caterham Seven on steroids but a 267bhp turbocharged 1.8-litre Audi engine brings supercar performance levels out of the lightweight machine. The second and fastest of the car’s two lightning Nurburgring lap times was set in 2006.
The Lexus LFA is an engineering masterclass by Toyota with a carbonfibre body and a purpose-built V10 engine that revs to 9,000rpm. The Nurburgring Package models feature a 10bhp power boost to 563bhp, a recalibrated transmission and various other tweaks. It lapped the ‘ring in 7:14.64s back in 2011.
The Dodge Viper SRT10 has the kind of bonnet that can only hide a 600bhp V10 and that’s exactly what the ACR version used to attack the Nurburgring in 2011. With weight-saving modifications, enhanced aerodynamics and retuned suspension, the ACR model set a formidable 7:12.13s lap.
Awkwardly named and awkward to look at, the Gumpert Apollo makes up for any perceived lack of finesse with brutish pace. The Sport version set a 7:11.57 lap in 2009 powered by a 710bhp a twin-turbo V8 engine.
3. Lamborghini Aventador SV - 6.59.73s
Lambos have traditionally been about noise and theatre rather than outright track pace. But things are changing, and the new 'SV' version of the Aventador hypercar has made a huge statement by blasting into the 'Ring podium finishers. A time of 6.59s puts it only two seconds behind the vastly more expensive Porsche 918.
600 examples of the 740bhp Aventador SV will be built, with a UK pricetag of £285,000. It shaves 50kg off the standard Aventador's kerbweight and, judging by this time, has had some serious chassis tuning.
While McLaren was being unusually coy about the Nurburgring lapping prowess of its P1 hybrid hypercar (it will only say that the P1 has done a sub 7-minute lap), Porsche rocked up and clocked a 6:57s lap in its 918 Spyder. It's the first of the 'Big Three' to post an official time, giving the LaFerrari and P1 something to aim for.
With a combined 875bhp and 944lb ft of torque from its petrol-electric powertrain, the all-wheel-drive machine blitzed the ‘ring in September 2013.
The 450bhp V8-engined Radical SR8 stretches the definition of a road-legal production car to the limit with a 690bhp per tonne power to weight ratio.
It looks like a race car and you certainly wouldn’t attempt to use one on the school run but it ticks the necessary boxes to qualify and completed an incredible 6:48s lap in 2009 to install itself at the top of the Nurburgring lap record tree.
Radical has actually held the Nurburgring production car lap record since 2005 when a standard SR8 recorded a 6:55s time. That remains the second fastest lap ever but for how long? Over to you, Ferrari LaFerrari and Konigsegg One:1. And come on McLaren, spill the beans on the P1's lap time - we know you want to.
By Steve Walker
Watch more: Crash 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo Nürburgring Nordschleife
Horror Crash Nissan GT-R Nismo on the Nürburgring Nordschleife during the VLN endurance series, Recorded 2015-03-28
