Nio EP9 Sets New Nurburgring Laptime Record

The Nio EP9. Chances are you haven't heard of the name yet. But, you will be hearing a lot more in the coming days. This Chinese supercar has just smashed the lap record at the Nurburgring, stopping the clock at 6:45:9. Umm, did I mention it's electric?

This isn't the first time the Nio has lapped the Green Hell. In fact, it had a go at the track in March and clocked a respectable time of approximately 7 minutes 5 seconds. How, you ask? The EP9 has 1MW of power. In petrolhead language, that's equivalent to 1360PS. Nio claims the EP9 will clock 0-200kmph within five heartbeats. When was the last time you read about a manufacturer measuring time using biology? In the metric world, that translates into 7.1 seconds. If you keep the A-pedal pinned to the floor, it will go on to a top speed of 313kmph. Quick might just be an understatement.

“In October 2016, we aimed to set a new lap record for an electric vehicle with our NIO EP9. In the inclement weather that the Nürburgring Nordschleife is known for, the EP9 completed two laps of the 20.8 km (12.9m) ‘Green Hell’, one of which was in 7m 05.12s, beating the previous EV lap record, making it the fastest electric car in the world. The EP9’s new lap record is 19.22 seconds faster than its previous lap time. This is a fabulous achievement for NIO and I am very proud of the team that has worked tirelessly to achieve this accolade,” said Gerry Hughes, Head of Performance Program & FE Team Principal, Nio.

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So, yes. An electric car has played party pooper to the glory of a good old naturally aspirated V10. The Huracan Performante's time has been beaten. I think I need a drink to come to terms with that.