Audi R8 e-tron Sets New Production Electric Car Record At NürburgringAudi R8 e-tron Sets New Production Electric Car Record At Nürburgring

“To us, electric mobility means dynamics and driving pleasure”
So explained Audi AG board member for technical development, Michael Dick, after racing driver Marcus Winkelhock set a new production lap record for electric cars, at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany.
Well, it’s certainly a more positive outlook than electric mobility being “for idiots” (remember that?) but Audi’s new record certainly reinforces the “dynamics and driving pleasure” aspect.
In fact, Audi marks the 8:09.099 lap as another “milestone in its history”, alongside its eleven Le Mans 24-hour victories. The most recent of those came from Audi’s first hybrid race car, the R18 e-tron quattro.
The 375-horsepower R8 e-tron comes within a minute of the overall production lap record at the Nordschleife, currently held by the 700-hp Audi-engined Gumpert Apollo Sport.
And that word “production” is key to the Audi’s record.
You may remember Toyota breaking the electric car lap record at the ‘Ring back in August 2011, but its sub 8-minute lap was set in an electric prototype–a barely disguised race car with electric propulsion.
In contrast, the R8 e-tron will actually go on sale, towards the end of this year–133-mile range, 3,924-lb curbweight and all. And buyers should have a car to really get excited about.
“The torque with which the electric motors propel the car uphill beats everything that I know” said Winkelhock after the record run, with Dick adding “Within just a few weeks we’ve taken on some big challenges and in the process we’ve shown that we are at the forefront with all of our drive concepts.”
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“To us, electric mobility means dynamics and driving pleasure”

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