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Porsche has sent a strong message to electric vehicle manufacturers and the entire automotive world. The company’s pilot Lars Kern has overcome the famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Germany in a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, driving 20.82 km in just 6 minutes 55.553 seconds! With this result, the car became the fastest production electric vehicle ever to complete the track.
Lars Kern is very familiar with the course, but despite this, the new result was a huge breakthrough. It was 12 seconds faster than his own record, set at the end of 2023, and this difference in the world of racing is enormous. The car achieved the record result thanks to a large-scale Manthey Kit upgrade package.
Aerodynamics has become the main factor in the growth of speed. The Manthey Kit focuses heavily on this aspect. Engineers have added a new rear wing with enlarged side elements, as well as a special front diffuser with adjustable settings. At 200 km/h, these elements create a downforce of 310 kg. At a top speed of 309 km/h, this figure rises to 740 kg. This keeps the car on the road and allows it to corner at much higher speeds.
Additional speed is also provided by the modernization of the electrical system. Porsche has updated the high-voltage battery and power management components. The current was increased from 1100 to 1300 A. As a result, the power increased from 580 kW to 600 kW, which is equivalent to approximately 804 hp. For short-term acceleration, the driver can activate Attack Mode. In this mode, the car produces 730 kW or 978 hp for ten seconds. And with the use of the launch control system, the power reaches 760 kW – that’s 1,019 horsepower!
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To cope with such a load, the car must remain lightweight and provide maximum grip. The Manthey Kit includes 21-inch forged aluminum wheels. They are larger than the standard ones, but lighter. Titanium bolts reduced the weight of the moving parts by about 2.7 kg. The car also received very wide Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires – 4 cm wider at the front and 3 cm wider at the rear compared to the standard model. The additional contact area improves stability at high speeds.
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The car also needs to brake effectively before high-speed cornering. For this purpose, Porsche has equipped the Taycan Turbo GT with massive brakes. The front discs have a diameter of 440 mm and the rear discs have a diameter of 410 mm. The high stability helped the pilot to pass the fastest sections of the track at a much higher speed. In one of the corners, he went 14 km/h faster than during the previous record-breaking race.
Porsche is not the only company competing for the Nürburgring record. Other electric car manufacturers are also striving to become the fastest. The Chinese hypercar Yangwang U9 Xtreme recently managed to cover the track in 6 minutes 59.157 seconds. But despite the power of more than 3000 hp, it was still slower than the Porsche. Another Chinese electric car, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, covered the track in 7 minutes 4.957 seconds. Tesla also held the record for some time, but the company hasn’t tried to beat it since 2023. Now, everyone is waiting to see if the new Tesla Roadster will join the fight.
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However, there is a controversial side to such records. Many argue about what exactly can be considered a “production car”. Porsche claims that this Taycan meets the criteria because any buyer can order a Manthey Kit directly from the factory. However, most drivers are unlikely to need racing tires and huge wings for trips to the grocery store. The rules remain rather vague, but in any case, it is impressive that a sedan weighing more than 2268 kg is capable of moving at the speed of a race car.
This record demonstrates how rapidly technology is developing. Just ten years ago, only the most expensive supercars could drive around the track in less than seven minutes. Now a four-door electric car can do it. The competition between Porsche, BYD, and Xiaomi is having a positive impact on the entire industry, forcing engineers to find new ways to improve batteries and increase car safety.
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