The Nürburgring is the ultimate test track for developing new cars, whether they are out-and-out supercars or more modest hot hatches.
The challenge posed by the circuit and the variety of corners along the 13-mile course gives car makers unparalleled insight into where their machines work best, as well as where they need to improve.
As such, a Nürburgring lap record is something of an accolade for a manufacturer, and several have spent years honing their machines around the Nordschleife in the hope of being crowned the fastest of all.
These record laps can be divided between several different types of car. Take a look below to see the quickest lap times in all the major categories.
There is a caveat, however, in that the 'official' length of the lap was increased in 2019. Before this, all time were logged on a 12.8 mile circuit that effectively left out a short stretch of the T13 straight at the end of the lap. Yet with so much emphasis being placed on setting a fast time, the Nurburgring decided that only the whole 12.944 miles would count. As an example of the difference that makes, the record set by the GT2 RS (below) would be 6:38:835 under the old timing method.
Fastest road-legal lap around the Nürburgring
1 - Mercedes-AMG One - 6:35:18
The Mercedes-AMG One has set a new fastest lap for production cars at the Nürburgring, eclipsing the previous record by almost 10sec.
The 1049bhp hypercar posted a time of 6min 35.183sec around the 156-corner circuit, driven by Mercedes DTM driver Maro Engel on 28 October. This lap time also took the record for the super-sports car category.
Dubbed a Formula 1 car for the road, the £2.2 million hypercar is the most potent Mercedes-AMG road car ever made, combining a modified version of the firm’s turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 grand prix engine with four electric motors.
2 - Porsche 911 GT2 RS (with Manthey Performance Kit) - 6:43:30
Guided by Porsche works driver Lars Kern, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS completed a lap of the Nürburgring in 6 minutes 43.30 seconds, breaking the previous record by 4.747 seconds with an average speed of 115.5mph.
The GT2 RS was equipped with the Manthey Performance Kit, with changes to the chassis, aerodynamics and brakes, all of which have been specifically designed for the car. The kit also extends to additional flaps on the front spoiler, a carbon underbody and additional air guide elements around the front wheels. At the back of the car, there’s a new spoiler, a modified diffuser and aero discs on the wheels, overall increasing front downforce from 49 to 70kg at 124mph, and from 93 to 200kg at the rear.
However, Kern has gone faster around the track, clocking an incredible 6:40:30 in a GT2 RS MR in October 2018. Effectively the same car, it had a suspension and aero set-up specifically for the Nurburgring without any compromises for the road. It was, however, a completely street legal car featuring upgrade parts that anyone with deep enough pockets could buy off the shelf.
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What about lap times for a Ford Transit van?Is the late Sabine Schmitz still the record holder?
Erm, how come 911 GT2RS is still listed as fastest rear-wheel drive record? Surely AMG-GT Black just eclipsed that as well as overall production car.