Carmakers have been battling at the Nürburgring again, and this time it’s Porsche that has come out on top.
Over the weekend, the German carmaker took to the Nordschleife, 20.8 km of narrow, twisty racetrack, with the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, a prototype hybrid racecar. Driving an average of 233.8 km/h, he lapped the circuit in 5m19.55s, beating the previous record by an astonishing 51.58 seconds.
What makes the whole thing more impressive is the fact that the previous record had stood for 35 years – and was held by another Porsche, the 620 bhp Rothmans Porsche 956 C.
But the new 929 Hybrid Evo is an entirely different beast. Based on the car that took victory at the Le Mans 24-Hours, it features a twin-turbo V4 engine paired with an electric motor system. It’s four-wheel drive, with the electric motors powering the front wheels, and the combustion engine sending power to the back. A lot of power. That V4 engine produces 720 bhp, while the electric system develops 440 bhp, meaning a total output of 1,160 bhp.
That’s a frightening amount in a car weighing just 849 kg. Good thing, then, that aero tweaks allow it to produce 50% more downforce than the Le Mans car. Top speed stands at an eye-watering 369.4 km/h.
Anyway, obviously you want to see such a car in action. Happily, Porsche has provided a video of the record-beating lap. Check it out below.