The Nürburgring is a world famous showcase for manufacturers to gain bragging rights over their competitors when it comes to new road cars and prototype models. In August 2011, Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) drove its TMG EV P001 prototype electric racing car around the circuit in just 7:47.79; a time just 30 seconds off some of the fastest road cars in the world.
Toyota took to the Nürburgring once again in their 2012 EV prototype this week, and managed to knock a further 25 seconds off the EV record time. The TMG EV P002 is powered by two electric motors and a lithium ceramic battery in a package weighing just 970 kg and makes 350 kW and 900 Nm of torque. It is said to be capable of a top speed of 260 km/h and it lapped the track in just 7:22.32.
A time like that puts the EV racer into the top 15 lap times at the Nürburgring. No mean feat when you consider it has beaten the Ferrari 458 Italia, Corvette C6 Z06, Porsche 911 GT2 and the Nissan GT-R. Not forgetting that road cars perform on standard road tyres of course and the TMG EV P002 was shod with a full set of racing semi-slicks.
The driver, Jochen Krumbach, and TMG general manager, Ludwig Zeller, also applauded the mobile electric charger, which was able to quick charge the EV P002 for its record timed run. “This is an aspect of electric motorsport which has not been discussed at length but it is very significant: electric race cars need to be charged and it is a challenge to have the right infrastructure at race tracks,” Zeller said.
If the TMG EV prototype were to continue shaving off 25 seconds a lap every year it would have a real shot of beating the Nürburgring lap record set by the Radical SR8 LM, of which it is currently 33.4 seconds adrift.
