The Nurburgring lap record is the most prestigious prize for manufacturers who care about their vehicles’ performance.
It brings huge publicity and we, as the petrolhead public, love nothing more than to see the latest track specials go against the stopwatch on the most challenging circuit in the world.
This article lists all of the current Nurburgring lap records and fastest lap times for each different type of car.
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Full lap or Bridge to Gantry?
When we’re talking official Nurburgring lap records, we are talking about an entire lap of the Nordschleife.
This means the clock starts and stops in the exact same place, once a full lap of the circuit has been completed. This point is right at the exit of T13 corner, as our article on the length of the Nurburgring shows.
The Nurburgring lap records listed below are all set on a full 20.83km lap of the Nordschleife. In previous years a slightly shorter 20.6km version of the track was used, which missed out the straight between T13 and Sabine Schmitz Kurve.
If the lap time in the list below was set on that layout, it has been adjusted here (usually by adding around 5 seconds) to give a full 20.83km lap time. These have a * next to them.
If you take part in tourist driving at the Ring then you won’t get to do a full lap of the circuit as you miss out a chunk of the main straight. People who time their laps during tourist sessions time them from the Bridge at the end of the main straight to the Gantry at the start of it.
See our roundup of the fastest Nurburgring BTG lap times from this year for a list of the quickest amateur laps.
Overall Nurburgring lap record
The overall lap record at the Nurburgring is held by the Porsche 919 Hybrid EVO, with a 5:19.54 lap time set in 2018.
The 919 EVO was an unhinged, unrestricted tribute to the 919 that Porsche won the LeMans 24 hour with, and Porsche decided to take it to some of the most famous circuits in the world to redefine lap records on its farewell tour.
Without any technical regulations holding it back, it obliterated the previous overall Nurburgring lap record by around 45 seconds. Madness. See if your brain can keep up with your eyes in the video below, which has not been sped up.
- Porsche 919 EVO – 5:15.54 – 2018
- Volkswagen ID R – 6:05.34 – 2019
- Porsche 956 Group C – 6:11.13 – 1983
Prodution car Nurburgring lap record
The production car lap record at the Nurburgring is held by the Mercedes AMG One, with a 6:35.18 lap time set in 2022.
For a while the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey Racing edition had been the fastest official production car, but for years we had waited to see what the AMG One could do. Finally, in 2022, we found out. It beat the 911 by 8 seconds, and that was with track conditions that were less than ideal.
- Mercedes AMG One – 6:35.18 – 2022
- Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey Racing – 6:43.30 – 2018
- Mercedes AMG GT Black series – 6:48.05 – 2020
Front wheel drive Nurburgring lap record
The FWD Nurburgring lap record is 7:20.14 set by the Lynk & Co 03 Cyan in 2019.
The Chinese car manufacturer Lynk & Co teamed up with Cyan Racing, previously Polestar Racing, to have a go at the 2017 World Touring Car Championship. They won it in their first year with the Swedish Driver Thed Bjork.
This 03 Cyan was a derivative of their touring car, with 520 bhp put through the front wheels. Whilst it was just a concept car and hasn’t yet seen full production, it was running in road-legal guise. So whether or not it should be at the top of this list is up for debate, but either way it’s so impressive for a FWD car.
2023 saw Honda re-take the production car FWD lap record with their FL8 Civic Type R, beating the Megane RS Trophy R by less than a second.
- Lynk & Co 03 Cyan – 7:20.14 – 2019
- Honda Civic Type R FL8 – 7:44.88 – 2023
- Renault Megane RS Trophy R – 7:45.39 – 2019
All wheel drive Nurburgring lap record
The AWD lap record at the Nurburgring is 6:35.18 set by the Mercedes AMG One in 2022.
We’ve already talked about the AMG One lap time as it’s also the overall production car lap recorder holder, so let’s look at the second car on this list. The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ set a 6:49 in 2018. This was the amended lap time for the full 20.83km lap, the recorded time was 6:44.9 for the 20.6km lap.
At the time, not only was this the four wheel drive lap record of the Nurburgring, but it was also the fastest ever production car lap. It’s also well worth a watch as the V12 naturally aspirated raging bull looks like a complete handful to try and tame, an anti-dote to the absolutely planted but slightly clinical AMG One.
- Mercedes AMG One – 6:35.18 – 2022
- Lamborghini Aventador SVJ – 6:49* – 2018
- Lamborghini Huracan Performante – 6:57* – 2016
Electric Nurburgring lap record - production cars
The EV lap record for electric production cars at the Nurburgring is 7:05.298 set by the Rimac Nevera in August 2023.
The Rimac Nevera in undisputedly the fastest hypercar in the world. In one day it broke 23 road car performance records including 0-60mph, 0-100mph, 0-250mph and 0-249mph-0.
After smashing all worthwhile straight-line records there was one obvious record left to break. In August 2023 the Rimac team took the car to the Nurburgring and set their sights on the Model S Plaid’s best lap.
On a day where conditions ambient temperatures were over 30 degrees Celcius and the car’s tyres overheated on the second half of the lap the Rimac still smashed the previous record by nearly 20 seconds.
The car was limited to 350kph / 217mph on the Dottinger Hohe straight due to its tyres. But on a cooler day with lower track temperatures I’m sure we’ll see the Nevera return and go sub-7.
- Rimac Nevera – 7:05.298 – 2023
- Porsche Taycan Turbo GT – 7:07.55 – 2023
- Tesla Model S Plaid Track Pack – 7:25.23 – 2023
Electric Nurburgring lap record - prototype cars
The electric vehicle record for non-production cars at the Nurburgring is a 6:05.34 set by the VW ID R in 2019.
This one-off Pikes Peak record holder was brought back to Germany by Volkswagen to see how fast it could go around the Ring, and boy could it go fast.
Whilst the overall lap record set by the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo looked to be out of sight, a near sub-6 minute lap for the VW was seriously impressively considering it topped out at 245kph / 150mph on the main straight. For comparison the 919 EVO hit 370kph / 230mph on the same straight. It just shows how incredible the cornering performance of the VW ID R is.
- VW ID R – 6:05.34 – 2019
- Lotus Evija X – 6:24.05 – 2024
- NIO EP9 – 6:45.90 – 2017
SUV Nurburgring lap record
The SUV Nurburgring lap record is 7:38.93 set by a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT in 2021. For some perspective, that is the same lap time as the Koegnigsegg CCR managed back in 2005.
The 630bhp twin turbo V8 SUV, weighing over 2 tonnes, has no right to lap the Nordschleife that fast. But Porsche test driver Lars Kern said that the heffalump felt composed and responded to quick direction changes through places such as Wippermann very well. Amazing work the Porsche engineers have done. It also sounds fantastic from the onboard video.
- Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT – 7:38.93 – 2021
- Audi RS Q8 – 7:42.25 – 2019
- Mercedes AMG GLC 63 S – 7:54* – 2018
Four door saloon Nurburgring lap record
The Nurburgring lap record for four door saloon cars is 7:23 set by the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 in 2019.
This might be a little contentious. The Project 8 does have 4 doors. But in the back where you’d normally find some seats there’s just the rear half of a full roll cage.
So whilst yes, technically it is a four door saloon car, it may as well be 2 door. It doesn’t fit the bill of ‘executive’ saloon, the record for that category would have to go to the second placed car on the list below, the AMG GT.
Nonetheless the guys at Jaguar Special Vehicles did an incredible job with the Project 8 and set a lap time that no other four-doored car has beaten. Yet.
- Jaguar XE SV Project 8 – 7:23*
- AMG GT 63 S – 7:27.8 – 2020
- Porsche Panamera Turbo – 7:29.8 – 2020
Nurburgring bike lap record
The Nurburgring bike lap record is 7:10.89 set on a Yamaha YZF R1 in 2012. This is a Bridge to Gantry lap time and was set during a public tourist driving session.
Motorbike lap records are not so hotly contested at the Nurburgring. In fact, barely any motorbike manufacturers use the Ring for testing or trying to outdo one another with incrementally faster laps.
Largely, this is due to the complete lack of run off; a huge safety risk for riders. So there are no official full lap times for motorbike to report on, just some BTG lap times set by crazy bikers in public sessions.
Read more about the current Nurburgring bike record lap.
- Yamaha YZF R1 – 7 :10.89 BTG – 2012
- Suzuki GSX-R – 7:20 BTG – 2022
- Yamaha R1 – 7:22 – 2016
Nurburgring van lap record
The Nurburgring van lap record is 9:22 set by Guy Martin in his Ford Transit ‘Supervan’ in 2018.
His home built 700bhp spaceframed rear engined twin-turbo V6 Transit was an absolutely monster. Guy drove it himself for the record run, in which he only managed one lap before the van suffered a bit of a fire in the back.
Guy’s record lap has a huge amount of time left to be shaved off. His lack of experience at the Ring means that with more practice, or if a Nordschleife expert was behind the wheel, there would definitely be a sub-9 minute full lap time from the van. But maybe Ford’s official EV Supervan 4 will take the crown next.
Read more about the Nurburgring van record.
- Ford Transit ‘Supervan’ by Guy Martin – 9:22 – 2018
- VW T5 REVO edition – 9:57 – 2013
- VW T5 ‘Project Eifelgeist’ – 9 :58 (BTG) – 2018
Nurburgring F1 car lap time
A 2007 BMW Sauber F1 06 did a 6 minute 36 second lap of the Nurburgring for a demonstration run. This was the fastest F1 car to ever lap the Nordschleife.
The driver was Nick Heidfeld who said that car drove horribly on the bumpy surface of the Nurburgring. BMW then said that for safety reasons the car was limited to 275kph, was running maximum ride height and had old, hard demo tyres fitted.
Because of this, and because it was just a demonstration run, this lap time was a long way off the car’s potential. After the demo lap the BMW F1 team’s simulation projected an optimal 5:15 lap time for their car, with the right set up and best conditions.
They never had the chance to prove it, and no F1 car has attempted a lap of the Nurburgring since.
McLaren Nurburgring times
The fastest McLaren Nurburgring time is a 6:48 set by a McLaren P1 LM in 2017.
The McLaren P1 LM is a track-only special version of the P1, however this particular car was modified by McLaren specialists Lanzante to be road legal. Driven by racing legend Kenny Brack it managed a 6:43.22 lap time on the 20.6km track, working out to be a 6:48 on the full 20.83km layout.
McLaren themselves do not put their cars against the stopwatch at the Nurburgring. Their management say that it can only end in tears, and feel their cars do not need to prove themselves. Never mind that chaps, we’d just love to see the British firm stick it to the Germans!
Fastest Ferrari Nurburgring lap time
The fastest Ferrari Nurburgring lap time is 7:03 set by the 599XX in 2010.
The track-day special 599XX was a hardcore version of the 599 road car. This record run was set by Ferrari themselves, their official lap time was 6:58.16 for the 20.6km circuit, working out to be 7:03 for the full 20.83km lap.
There was a faster Ferrari lap set during qualifying for the Nurburgring 24 hour race in 2012. The one-off Ferrari P4/5 Competizione, raced by the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus team, clocked a 6:51 full lap of the Nordschleife. That was during a race event, however, so not quite in keeping with the rest of the lap records on this list.
Fastest BMW Nurburgring time
The fastest BMW Nurburgring lap time is 7:20.207 set by a BMW M4 CSL in 2022.
Whilst there have been numerous BMW GT3 race cars that have set faster laps in either the VLN, NLS or Nurburgring 24 hour races, this is the fastest BMW production car to ever lap the Nordschleife.
The 2023 BMW M2 set a full Nurburgring lap time of 7:38. 706. That’s 18 second slower than it’s big brother the M4.
Other Nurburgring records
Check out some of the other Nurburgring records:
Richtig interessant zu lesen und die verlinkten Videos zu schauen. Super Arbeit.