a day ago
Ford SuperVan honours Sabine Schmitz with sizzling Nürburgring lap time
The humble Ford Transit van has an unlikely place in Nürburgring history, thanks to a 2005 Top Gear episode where Sabine Schmitz claimed she could drive a Transit faster than Jeremy Clarkson managed in a Jaguar S-Type. Nearly two decades later, Ford Performance has turned that playful remark into a serious achievement.
The electric Transit SuperVan 4.2 lapped the 20.8km Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:48.393 seconds, placing it ninth on the list of fastest timed laps. French race ace and multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Romain Dumas was behind the wheel, guiding the van past high-performance sports cars including the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Corvette ZR1X.
The SuperVan 4.2 is a far cry from the Blue Oval's everyday Transit load-lugger. With 1,470kW of power, sticky slick tyres and a bespoke chassis, it's a one-off electric demonstrator designed to explore the limits of vehicle performance beyond traditional racing regulations. Ford says the project provides insights for future race programmes and road vehicles, though specific details cannot be disclosed for 'competitive reasons'.
This is not the SuperVan's first headline-making moment. It holds records at Mount Panorama in Bathurst and was a winner at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Yet the Nürburgring, the so-called 'Green Hell', has long been a benchmark the team wanted to conquer.
Ford also tested its F-150 Lightning SuperTruck at the circuit on the same day, hinting at further performance announcements in the near future.
The lap also serves as a tribute to Schmitz, the late German racer and TV personality who became synonymous with daring driving at the Nürburgring. What started as a joke about the Transit has inspired a challenge that ended in record-breaking reality, underlining the van's unexpected capabilities on one of the world's most demanding circuits.
