We already knew that the Audi R8 e-tron had set a quick 8:09.09 lap time at the Nürburgring, and now Audi has provided video to prove it. This video shows both onboard and exterior views as the R8 e-tron charges around Germany’s famed toll road.
Compared to many Nürburgring lap videos, though, this clip is strangely quiet. That’s because the R8 e-tron is an all-electric car, so there is almost zero engine noise. The primary sounds in the brief video come from howling tires and roaring wind noise. The lap time was set by former German touring car racer Markus Winkelhock.
The R8 e-tron uses two electric motors, producing a combined 376 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque, which draw power from a lithium-ion battery. Audi says the e-tron could drive up to 134 miles per charge, and it normally has a top speed of 125 mph. For the ‘Ring run filmed here, Audi engineers increased the top-speed limiter to 155 mph. An R8 e-tron with the limiter set to its usual 125 mph managed to lap the Nürburgring in 8:26.1, still a respectable time for an all-electric car.
Several other prototype electric cars have laid down lap times on the Nordschleife. A Toyota EV P001 battery-powered race car set a time of 7:47.8 in August 2011, a Peugeot EX1 clocked 9:01 last April, and a modified Mini E electric car recorded a 9:51.45 lap time in April 2010. Audi, however, claims the R8 e-tron set the quickest ‘Ring time for a production model.
You can watch Audi driver Markus Winkelhock guiding the R8 e-tron to its fast lap time in the video below.
Source: YouTube
