The Nürburgring is one the greatest automotive race tracks in the world. The unforgiving roadway tests every sector of automotive engineering including speed, handling, braking, and reliability. A quarter-mile or 0-60 MPH test may determine the quickest car, but the Nürburgring exhibits the ultimate capabilities of each vehicle. The Nürburgring track embodies intermittently sharp turns to test the handling of cars, but also implements straightaway paths to test their acceleration completely. To put it simply, the Nürburgring is considered the ultimate benchmark for the overall capabilities of cars.
To go over the 15 fastest cars (and 10 slowest) to ever go around the Nürburgring, it is important to know the components that bear results on this race track. The pattern of victory usually includes fast speed, precise handling, but most importantly, it brings out the crowning breed of each brand. For example, the greatest Lamborghini will stand out from all Lamborghinis. The top 15 fastest cars to go around the Nürburgring include the biggest names in sports cars including Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, and more. Most of the top records are claimed multiple times by the same car companies.
The Nürburgring hosts the world's most profound car races, but is also open to the public. Therefore, there are also the 10 slowest cars to ever go around the Nürburgring. This list comprises mostly of tourists who cruised their 70 horsepower car around the track. However, the track is so well built, that even the slowest cars look like a fun and exciting ride while touring it's convoluted roads.
Here are the 15 fastest (and 10 slowest) cars to ever go around the Nürburgring from the slowest to the fastest.
25 Slowest: Toyota Prius
The Prius may not exactly be the slowest car to ever go around the Nürburgring, but it has the slowest officially recorded lap time on the race course. According to Gas 2, the feat was done on purpose. The Toyota crew maintained the minimum required speed limit at Nürburgring of 37 MPH while cruising to the finish line of the 12.8 mile Nürburgring track in 20 minutes and 59 seconds. The purpose of the stunt was to test the Prius' fuel efficiency.
The Toyota crew claims to have completed the feat on just five tablespoons of gasoline.
However, it also had a fully charged engine battery.
24 Slowest: Mini Cooper
The Mini Cooper is not the slowest car to ride the Nürburgring by a pretty large stretch... when it's on all four wheels. On two wheels, it's one of the slowest cars to ever tour the Nürburgring track. Jalopnik reports that the vehicle was assisted onto it's side by a ramp before completing the entire 12.8 mile track on 2 wheels. The driver, Yue Han of China, claimed there was a large vibration from his back tire which allowed the Mini Cooper to average around 17 miles an hour. It wasn't an easy feat, as the driver suffered minor injuries from leaning on his side.
23 Slowest: Lada 2101
The Soviet Lada is possibly the least powerful car to take on the Nürburgring. The Russian-made vehicle has only 59 horsepower, but could drop even lower on US gasoline. It is considered a collectible by people who want a very very slow and powerless car for sentimental reasons. Nevertheless, Jalopnik reports that automotive Youtuber Booster Boris took the Lada 2101 to the Nürburgring. Their video shows Boris taking a very relaxing cruise through the track while unknowingly driving one of the slowest cars to ever go around the Nürburgring. It wouldn't be fair if we didn't point out that the Lada 2101 was made for basic travel, and not intended for the Nürburgring.
22 Slowest: Volkswagen Bus
When Volkswagen made the first Volkswagen Bus in 1950, they never designed it go around the Nürburgring, and that much is clear about the popular Bus. Although, the Bus has visited the track on separate occasions.
The hippy Bus did try it's best despite its glaring lack of credentials, but the turtle-like speed of the funny looking vehicle exposed itself.
Primarily, it happened when it was referenced to a Porsche flying by next to it on the track. Apparently, the Volkswagen Bus on the Nürburgring is a popular thing. As MarvintheGamer27 shows us on Youtube with a 12 man race on Gran Turismo 6 with all Volkswagen Busses.
21 Slowest: DHL Truck
What the DHL van was designed for is simply delivering mail. What the DHL van was not designed for is racing around the Nürburgring. Still, the Ford Van found it's way to the German race course. The Van surprisingly keeps up with a basic Volkswagen sedan, as seen in the Youtube video by Auto Addiction. After all, the DHL van has to be pumping some kind of power to be able to deliver all those packages. In the video, the Van appears to be driven by a highly aggressive driver, and is leading the way on the race course. Granted, the cars behind it aren't exactly built to perform either.
20 Slowest: Citroen C1
The 68 horsepower Citroen C1 took it's laughable powers to the Nürburgring track. Road and Track points out that, although the car was very slow, the driver seemed to have a great time. The lap was recorded on video, and showed the excitement of the ride. The reason why the powerless Citroen was still very exciting on the Nürburgring is because of it's lightweight chassis and suspension setup which helps the car turn tightly at junctions. The quick turns made by the car appeared to be thrilling. Still, it's one of the slowest cars to go around the Nurburgring track.
19 Slowest: City Bus
City busses have been spotted on the Nürburgring on various occasions. Legend has it that the bus was full of passengers as it speeded through the track.
The bus didn't hold back, as it went the fastest possible speed on every straightaway and junction.
As seen on a youtube video by Auto Addiction, video evidence proves that the bus was able to get ahead on a Ford GT-40... by being overlapped and blocking the road as the Ford tried to cross again. The bus uses it's powerful horn to scare competitors as they come near. Seriously, that's what was seen when the footage of the bus on the Nürburgring was released. Interesting tactics.
18 Slowest: Fiat Bravo & Fiat Panda
Two Fiats, two tourists, and two very slow lap times. The Fiat Bravo and the Fiat Pando both toured the Nurburgring track while having their lap recorded on video. The result: A clear display exposing the pair of Fiat 1 litres as two of the slowest cars to ever go around the Nurburgring. As the two cars are very similar, the outcome was the same. While watching the video of the runs, uploaded by Dimos K on Youtube, it's almost like watching a grandma's Saturn trying to run the Nurburgring. We shouldn't poke fun, as the Fiat is known for being a low horsepower car for basic transportation.
17 Slowest: Volvo 240
When someone thinks of "the slowest car of all time", they generally envision a 1988 Volvo 240. It is the epitome of slow cars, and since it ran the Nurburgring, it definitely makes the list. There is very little known about the depressing run of the Volvo 240. However, with the footage of just one turn by the Volvo 240 at the Nurburgring on Youtube by Auto Addiction, it's clear that there is not a single sporty mechanical screw in this car. It's almost as if it was designed to NOT do well on the Nurburgring. The car pictured above may have completed a respectable time, but other lesser models of 240 were surely not even close.
16 Slowest: Ford Transit
In an episode of Top Gear, Sabine Shmidt attempts to take the Ford Transit van on a challenge to complete the Nürburgring in under 10 minutes. The idea, of course, being that the Ford Transit is one of the slowest cars they could possibly take on the Nürburgring. Sabine aggressively drove the van, which is commonly used as a Taxi, and push it to it's limits while clearly terrifying the passenger next to her (who decided to never ride with her again, as reported by Top Gear).
The event was held as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Ford Transit, according to Grand Tour Nation.
Now, it's time to see the legendary vehicles that approached the pursuit of automotive perfection on what is widely considered the greatest race course in the history of the world.
Here are the 15 fastest cars to go around the Nürburgring:
15 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE: 7 Minutes, 16.04 Seconds
The 15th fastest car to go around the Nürburgring is the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE with a time of 7 minutes and 16.04 seconds. The supremely powerful Camaro, named the "Ultimate Camaro" by Chevy, is the most graspable car on the top 15 list with a price tag of just $69,995. However, this Camaro performs better than any other Camaro to ever go on the Nürburgring. According to The Drive, the Camaro ZL1 rose above it's usual performance by using an aero kit, carbon fiber parts, and a Multimatic DSSV suspension system. It just may be the greatest Camaro of all time.
14 Donkervoort D8 RS: 7 Minutes, 14.89 Seconds
Appearing twice in the top 20 lap times, the Donkervoort D8 RS is a legend on the Nürburgring track. The 5 cylinder inline set lap records in 2004 and 2006 while pushing a humble 380 horsepower engine. Still, the Donkervoort was able to conquer the competition at the time while utilizing its Audi counterparts.
According to Down Shift Autos, the Donkervoort thrives by using it's lightweight frame combined with a small but effectively powerful turbo-4 engine.
In return, the Donkervoort produces a massive amount of power for a light car, effectively bullying it's way to temporary 2004 and 2006 Nürburgring track records.
13 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package: 7 Minutes, 14.64 Seconds
The Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package was among the top 5 fastest lap times at the Nürburgring for quite some time. The specialized Lexus finished the near 13 mile track with a time of 7 minutes and 14.64 seconds. Although the record was later bested, Auto Blog announces that the 4.8 liter 562 horsepower Lexus LFA turned heads when it defeated the production car record held by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS at that time. The Toyota-based supercar improved it's v10 engine, and focused on suspension and aerodynamic features to complete the once revered record time. The Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package lived up to it's name.
12 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06: 7 Minutes, 13.9 Seconds
The Corvette is the second king of American cars after the Dodge Viper. The Corvette is the second fast American car to finish the Nürburgring with a time of 7 minutes and 13.90 seconds.
The run of the Corvette C7 Z06 at the Nürburgring was long awaited.
Road and Track reports that the C7 Z06 was halted due to rain in 2014, but bounced back in 2017 to complete the track. After several attempts, the crew finally accomplished the feat using additional tune ups between their attempts on the track. Such upgrades included adding a manual gearbox and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s.
11 Gumpert Apollo Sport: 7 Minutes, 11.57 Seconds
The Gumpert Apollo Sport held the 3rd fastest lap time at the Nürburgring track from 2009 to 2013 with a time of 7 minutes and 11.57 seconds. At the time, it was the fastest production road-legal vehicle to complete the course. The Audi-based supercar pushed all 700 horsepower and a top speed of 225 MPH to achieve one of the oldest top 10 records of the Nürburgring to date. The Gumpert Apollo Sport met all the expectations of the motor world after it shot to fame by appearing on Top Gear's list of power laps, according to Pursuit List.
10 Mercedes-AMG GT R: 7 Minutes, 10.92 Seconds
Perhaps the fastest Mercedes of all time, the AMG GT R utilized it's German handling capabilities to zoom it's way through the 12.8 mile race course to become 9th fastest car to go around the Nürburgring. The super-Benz roadster completed the multifarious track with an time of 7 minutes and 10.92 seconds, making it the 11st fastest recorded lap time in the history of the track. As Evo.co.uk points out, the AMG GT R was the fastest rear wheel drive sports car to complete the course at the time while besting the time set by the Viper ACR.
9 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO: 7 Minutes, 8.67 Seconds
As one of the greatest sports cars of all time, the Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo proved itself at the Nürburgring as 7th vehicle to ever break the 7 minute and 10 seconds barrier. The feat is especially impressive considering the Skyline costs less than $100,000, but keeps up with the $1.5 million+ supercars that have lapped the Nürburgring.
There was some controversy regarding the Skyline's Nürburgring run.
Car Throttle reports that the Skyline was tuned with aerodynamics tuning, weight reduction, and suspension tuning. However, Nissan bent the rules to fit their narrative by teasing to apply the suspension tuning as a stock option, thus making their run legitimate as a stock car.
8 Dodge Viper ACR: 7 Minutes, 1.3 Seconds
The Dodge Viper ACR holds 6th fastest car to go around the the Nürburgring, and holds the 9th and 13th fastest lap times ever recorded. It set a time of 7 minutes and 12.13 seconds in 2011, and later shattered it's record with a time of 7 minutes and 1.3 seconds in 2017. The Viper is the king of the Detroit-based production vehicles with the fastest recorded time by an American car. However, problems arose for the Viper ACR during the run. According to Road and Track, the Viper ACR, driven by Lance Arnold, suffered tire failures on two separate occasions while attempting to run the track.
7 Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce: 6 Minutes, 59.73 Seconds
The first Lamborghini to ever break the 7 minute barrier at the Nürburgring was the Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce. Prior to the Aventador Superveloce, Lamborghini's reputation was in jeopardy as the fastest time they had ever achieved at the Nürburgring was is in the dismal top 35-40 recorded lap time range. However, the Aventador saved the face of the company by defeating it's prior time by over 25 seconds. As Motor Authority points out, the Lamborghini accomplished the feat through increasing the power of the Aventador by adding 49 horsepower and shaving down over 100 pounds of its overall weight.
6 Porsche 918 Spyder: 6 Minutes, 57 Seconds
The first series production car to ever break the 7 minute barrier at the Nürburgring was the Porsche 918 Spyder. The basic 4.6 litre V8 engine produces unthinkable power for it's size at 887 horsepower which pushed the 918 Spyder to a world record time of 6 minutes and 57 second at Nürburgring in 2013.
The record would be short lived.
However, the 918 Spyder proved itself as a champion of the Nürburgring by claiming a second spot in the top 15 recorded lap times. Road and Track details a third return to Nürburgring for the 918 Spyder, but despite excitement from fans, the third run was used a measuring tool by Porsche to improve a newer vehicle.