The top ten fastest ever Nürburgring lap times

The Nürburgring Nordschleife: 12.9-miles and 154 corners of tarmac that undulates its way deep in the Eifel mountains. Its constant changes in gradient and elevation make it one of the world’s most challenging circuits – a perfect place to test performance cars for durability and outright speed, and lay down a marker for others to chase. It’s an amazing place, and with manufacturers fighting amongst themselves to break the sacred lap record, we’ve run down the top ten fastest of all time – plus the top runners in popular sub-categories. 

> Is the Nürburgring really the ultimate driving challenge? We sent a Nordschleife novice to find out

Though it’s far from an objective indicator of a car’s overall performance, given variables in conditions, driver and in some cases mystery around exact car spec, a competitive Nürburgring lap record earns a level of respect from any enthusiast. As a symbol of pride, not to mention a very useful marketing tool, the ‘Ring remains king. 

Top 10 Nürburgring lap times

1. Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo – 5:19.546 – 2018

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To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Porsche took its 919 Evo – a modified version of its Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid – to set lap records at a handful of European circuits. The 919 Evo obliterated the all-time Nordschleife lap record, with driver Timo Bernhard completing the lap in just 5:19.546 in June 2018 – that’s almost an entire minute faster than the previous record.

Under the skin is the same hybrid powertrain as the 919 Hybrid, but as it’s free of the restrictions of the racer, total power was rated at 1144bhp – especially mind-boggling when you consider its 849kg dry weight. This was achieved through the removal of unnecessary items such as air conditioning, windscreen wipers and headlights.

It’s aero was also tweaked, with the now-active system able to generate 53% more downforce than the 919 Le Mans-spec racer whilst also increasing aero efficiency by 66% – allowing for a peak speed of 229mph during its run.

> Porsche 919 Hybrid review - driving one of Stuttgart's most successful racers

2. Volkswagen ID.R – 6:05.336 – 2019

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Coming in second place is Volkswagen’s purpose-built, all-electric ID R. Despite the compromises of an all-electric powertrain on the circuit, VW’s engineers managed to extract enough performance for a 6:05.336 lap in June 2019, not just taking second spot, but also breaking the electric vehicle record. 

It’s powered by the 670bhp motor and 44kWh battery pack from the brand’s Formula E racer, and hit an average speed of 128mph over the 12.9-mile course, with its aerodynamic setup fettled to suit the unique characteristics of the Nordschleife.

> Volkswagen ID R: everything you need to know

3. Porsche 956 – 6:11.13 – 1983

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The outright record was long-held by the late Stefan Bellof for 35 years, until the aforementioned 919 came along in 2018. In May 1983, the then 25 year old racing driver set an astonishing time of 6:11.13 in a Porsche 956 during qualifying for the Nürburgring 1000km.

After this date, top-level Le Mans prototypes no longer used the 12.9-mile Nordschleife for competition, with the GP circuit also added as part of the lap – hence why the record around the Nordschleife stood for so long.

4. Ford GT MkIV – 6:15.977 – 2026

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A new entry joining the list of the very fastest cars around the Nürburgring in 2026 feels like a ghost of supercar past – coming in at fourth, the Ford GT MkIV. The Ford GT road car was first revealed 11 years ago and went out of production four years ago. It’s since been replaced by the Mustang GTD as the flagship racetrack refugee, just as its place in GT racing has been taken by the Mustang GT3. Its de-restricted customer track cars however, are still very much on song, with an 800bhp ecoboost V6, fully re-engineered body and chassis and monstrous aero. It is the Ford GT unleashed, without the shackles of race or road regulation.

The 6:15.977 time has clinched Ford a couple of records. For one it is now the fastest American car around the ‘Ring. For another, it’s the fastest car currently on sale, given new 956s, 919s and ID.Rs aren’t cars you can call up Porsche or Volkswagen and place an order for. Just 67 are being made – a nod to the original Ford GT MkIV, that won Le Mans in 1967 with Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt at the wheel.

5. Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Prototype – 6:22.091 – 2025

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A new entry for 2025 on the overall list is a car from a manufacturer best known for manufacturing smartphones: Xiaomi. Its new SU7 Ultra is set to take on the Porsche Taycan as a high performance electric saloon, but the ‘Prototype’ gave its engineers free rein to extract every last drop of performance from the platform, with help from Prodrive.

Thanks to an all carbonfibre body construction, aggressive aero, slick tyres and a host of other performance-enhancing modifications, Xiaomi managed to achieve a frankly ridiculous lap time of 6:22.091, putting it ahead of the Pikes Peak-spec Lotus Evija X. One look at the specs and this should be no huge surprise, with Xiaomi claiming a weight figure of 1900kg, output of 1527bhp and peak downforce of 2145kg…

The production-ready car is already available to buy in China, and while this car is considerably less extreme than the Prototype we see here, it still achieved an impressive time of 7:04.95 to put it a second ahead of even the Rimac Nevera hypercar.

6. Lotus Evija X – 6:24.047 – 2023

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With 1972bhp and 1323lb ft of torque, the all-electric Lotus Evija X is considerably more powerful than all three previous entries on this list. While its underpinnings are said to be near-identical to those found in the road-going Evija hypercar, a bespoke carbonfibre body and extreme aero setup helped it achieve a stunning 6:24.047 lap time in October 2023, with German racing driver Dirk Müller at the helm.

> Lotus Emira 2025 review – Should you still consider Hethel's Porsche Cayman rival?

7. March Engineering 832-BMW – 6:28.03 – 1983

Next on the list was another lap from 1983, with UK-based March Engineering bagging fifth place on the all-time list with its 832 Formula 2 car. Piloted by Christian Danner, the racer was powered by a 2-litre naturally-aspirated BMW four-cylinder, a unit that also saw action in Brabham’s famous BT52 Formula 1 car (albeit in 1.5-litre turbocharged form). 

8. Mercedes-AMG One – 6:29.090 – 2024

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Mercedes-AMG smashed the production car record with its One hypercar in 2022 with a 6:35.183 lap, but two years later, the road-going development of its Formula 1 car knocked this time down to just 6:29.090. Driven by DTM driver Maro Engel, the second attempt was completed in much more favourable conditions than the first, helping the hypercar achieve a time 14.2 seconds quicker than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR, the second quickest production car to lap the 'Ring.

It's worth remembering that no other current hypercar has attempted a lap record attempt at the Nürburgring, but it's a mighty achievement for AMG and for Maro nonetheless. They didn't only have to drive the One around at astonishing speed, but also manage its hybrid powertrain ensuring that it wasn't out of battery before the final long straight.

> Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance 2025 review – is AMG’s £190k hybrid hot rod its best GT?

9. Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR – 6:43.30 – 2021

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Manthey Racing broke its own record in 2021 with a further update on its MR kit designed specifically for the Porsche 991.2 911 GT2 RS that's since been beaten by AMG. With various tweaks to its aero, suspension setup, braking system and cooling, Porsche development driver Lars Kern broke its previous record by nearly 5sec, in the process also breaking the fastest lap completed by a road-legal car. For reference, the 992-generation 911 GT3 RS achieved a 6:49.3, proving just how potent this package is...

It is worth noting that as with many recent record laps, this time is without T13, knocking 200m off the total lap length.

> Porsche 911 GT3 Touring 2025 review – is wingless 9000rpm special better than ever?

10. McLaren P1 XP1 LM Prototype – 6:43.22 – 2017

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With almost 800bhp coming from its 4.0-litre V8 and a further 200bhp provided by electric motors, the Lanzante-fettled McLaren P1 LM managed an incredible lap time of 6:43.22 with Kenny Bräck at the wheel; around four second quicker than McLaren’s own quoted time for the track-only P1 GTR. 

Given the P1 LM’s road-going racing car mantra, the P1 LM that set the lap time proceeded to drive home from the Nürburgring back to the UK on public roads. The time was run on road-legal Pirelli Trofeo tyres, making best use of the LM’s weight-saving measures over even the standard P1 GTR. These included lightweight seats, titanium tailpipes and the removal of race parts like the air-jack system.

> £2m McLaren W1 makes public debut – 1257bhp P1 successor eyes Ferrari F80

Fastest compact cars around the Nürburgring

The ‘compact car’ category covers everything from the BMW M2 to conventional hot hatches such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and while examples of the latter are getting increasingly hard to come by in 2025, there’s more competition than ever in this class. This year the BMW M2 CS has topped this list with Jörg Weidinger achieving a 7:25.5 lap, 8 seconds ahead of the Audi RS3 in second place. The incoming Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 put in a strong effort with a 7:46.13 lap to make it the fastest road-legal Volkswagen ever to lap the circuit, but it’s not quite enough to earn it a spot in the top five of the category.

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Fastest super sports/sports cars around the Nürburgring

The ‘sports cars’ category is where things get serious, featuring the likes of the Manthey-tuned 991 Porsche 911 GT2 RS and the Ford Mustang GTD. This category hasn’t seen much movement in recent times, with the 991 Porsche 911 GT2 RS equipped with the Manthey Racing Performance kit standing strong in the second spot with a 6:43.30 time, set by Lars Kern in 2021. The top spot is occupied by the Mercedes-AMG One, a car that officially falls within the ‘super sports’ category, having achieved a 6:29.09 with Maro Engel at the wheel in 2024 – this also makes it the fastest production car around the Nürburgring. Corvette’s new ZR1X would have made it to this list with its recent 6:49.275 lap, but the prototype classification of the car keeps it away, for now…

Fastest executive cars around the Nürburgring

Of course, it’s not just thoroughbred supercars that find themselves at the Nürburgring, with various manufacturers having run timed laps in more practical offerings. The ‘executive’ category features saloons, with the current Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid topping the list, having lapped the ‘ring in 2024 in just 7:24.17.

Fastest electric cars around the Nürburgring

In many ways the Nürburgring is an EV’s worst nightmare. It’s an extreme test of temperature management and braking longevity – completing consecutive flat out laps without losing performance is a real challenge, not to mention managing the huge power and mass that tend to come with high performance EVs. Some are up to the job, however, setting competitive times without giving up the ghost before the 12.9 miles are over. The Yangwang U9 Xtreme currently tops the production EV leaderboard, dipping under the magic seven-minute mark but needing almost 3000bhp to do so. 

Notable Nürburgring lap times

The BMW M2 CS, M3 CS Touring and BMW M4 CSL are the fastest compact, estate and mid-range models respectively, with the Audi RS Q8 performance taking the crown for SUVs with a 7:36.69. 

Knocked off the top 10 all-time list in 2025 and 2026 were the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and Mercedes-AMG’s GT Black Series. The former deserves a mention for the blistering 6:44.97 lap it achieved in 2018 – 760bhp from a 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12, the marque’s trick ALA 2.0 aerodynamics system and the most focused chassis of the lineup make it one serious ‘Ring weapon. The Black Series pipped it for the top spot with its 720bhp and 590lb ft flat-plane V8, Cup 2 R MO tyres and monstrous aero to allow GT3 star Maro Engel to set a 6:43.616 lap – the eighth fastest overall time when new. It’s now been bumped off the overall top ten list by the Ford GT MkIV.

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