When you think of a van, the first image that comes to mind is probably a family hauler or a cargo mover—not a track weapon. But Ford has just flipped that narrative upside down.
The company’s all-electric SuperVan 4.2, a purpose-built demonstrator, stormed the Nürburgring Nordschleife with an astonishing lap time of 6 minutes and 48.42 seconds, making it the fastest van to ever lap the legendary track.
This achievement is not just a milestone for Ford but also a fascinating piece of automotive history. To put it into perspective, nearly 20 years ago, racing legend Sabine Schmitz piloted a standard Ford Transit van around the Nürburgring in 10 minutes and 12 seconds, a feat that was immortalized in a famous Top Gear episode. Now, Ford’s latest creation has shattered that time by more than three minutes, proving how far technology and engineering have advanced in just two decades.
The lap was completed by Romain Dumas, a highly decorated racing driver and Ford’s go-to pilot for its EV demonstrator projects. Dumas is no stranger to record-breaking runs. Earlier in 2024, he won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Ford’s F-150 Lightning race truck, and now he’s added another feather to his cap with the SuperVan’s Nürburgring record.
Clocking in at 6:48.42, the SuperVan managed to wedge itself neatly between some serious track-focused sports cars—the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X and the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series from the previous generation. That’s an extraordinary placement for a vehicle shaped like a delivery van.
It’s important to note that the SuperVan 4.2 isn’t a road-legal van you’ll see delivering packages anytime soon. The vehicle is essentially a 2,000-horsepower electric prototype built solely for motorsport demonstrations. Unlike production cars, it ran on slick racing tires, giving it a massive performance advantage over vehicles like the Ford Mustang GTD, which posted a 6:52 lap time on road-legal tires.
Because of these differences, the fairest comparisons are not with regular production cars but with other electric racing prototypes. For instance, Volkswagen’s ID.R electric racer still holds the all-time EV record on the Nordschleife with a lap of 6:05, also set by none other than Romain Dumas.
While Ford’s SuperVan didn’t threaten the outright Nürburgring record, which remains the jaw-dropping 5:19 run by Porsche’s 919 Hybrid Evo in 2018, it did achieve something unique. Neither Volkswagen’s ID.R nor Porsche’s 919 resemble anything remotely close to a road-going van. Ford’s creation, however, wears its boxy van shape proudly, making its performance all the more surprising.
This run showcases just how versatile and innovative electric vehicle technology has become. From conquering Pikes Peak to demolishing Nürburgring lap times, Ford’s electric SuperVan proves that the future of performance doesn’t have to follow traditional automotive molds.
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