Automotive

Claas concept tractor smashes Nurburgring record for farm equipment

Claas concept tractor smashes Nurburgring record for farm equipment
Christian Menzel lays down a scorching new lap time for tractors on the Nurburgring
Christian Menzel lays down a scorching new lap time for tractors on the Nurburgring
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Christian Menzel lays down a scorching new lap time for tractors on the Nurburgring
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Christian Menzel lays down a scorching new lap time for tractors on the Nurburgring

A German driver has set a blistering new lap record for the Nurburgring Nordschliefe in a variable cab tractor. Without the use of racing slicks, Christian Menzel was able to slash the previous record – held by a Porsche – by more than half.

That's a vintage Porsche tractor, of course, and the old record was set in 2014, according to The Drive, at one hour, five minutes and 36 seconds, propelled by a mighty 14 horsepower motor. Menzel was having none of that rubbish; his weapon of choice was the variable-cab Claas Xerion 5000 Trac, which rocks a 493-horsepower, 2600 Nm (1,918 lb-ft), 12.8-liter, six-cylinder motor.

Mind you, it also weighs somewhere around 17,000 kg (37,500 lb), and it's geared for a top speed of 31 mph (50 km/h), so the supercars of the world needn't be too worried. Menzel put in a scorcher of a lap at 24 minutes, 50.57 seconds, taking more than three times as long as a modern supercar. It should be noted that the Xerion 5000 Trac is actually a concept tractor, so clearly there's an opportunity for somebody to lay down a flyer in a production tractor as well.

The entire stunt was arranged by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, who put together a video of the entire lap. In this video, Menzel praises the tractor's direct and precise steering, waves to fans trackside, muses about the slight rain and looks like he's going to vomit as the tractor lurches through the Karussell at about 21:15. Enjoy!

Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC: Wir fahren Nordschleife! [engl. subtitles] Fast Lap | auto motor & sport

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

5 comments
5 comments
Nobody
Our old 1940s Ford 9N with the high low transmission could do about 25mph and our 1950s Super M could approach 30mph. These were the standard farm tractors of the day. Most of the newer tractors would be lucky to hit 20mph. Most people don't think about tractor top speed but when you are working several farms scattered over 20 miles, that extra road speed saved hours when moving equipment between fields.
buzzclick
Having driven both fast cars and big tractors, that was a treat. We get to experience vicariously thru this dude what it feels like to be at the helm of this monster machine. Too bad I don't speak German, but no matter, this electric tractor of the latest German engineering is impressive. The cab rotates independently of the chassis, it's not just the seat that is dampened but all the controls move with the driver, the windshield wiper turns 360 degrees, everything is purpose-built for max efficiency. Rolling along at 50km/hr isn't race car speed, but when you're sitting so high from ground level instead of just a meter, and running apexes at the curves with all that inertia, it's easily just as exciting as a hypercar running in the Ring. Thanks for the heads up Loz cuz when he almost upchucks his lunch at 21:15, it's palpable. An unexpected treat. A Porsche has done a lap in 6:40:33, but at 24:50:57 in this beast, it's still impressive.
guzmanchinky
I speak fluent German and this guy is hilarious. I drove that same lap 2 summers ago and it scared the **** out of me but was one of my favorite experiences of all time...
Gregg Eshelman
Well now that's a challenge. Will Lamborghini Trattori pick up the gauntlet?
Bruce H. Anderson
There is Guy Martin and the Fastrac Two, a highly modifed version of a tractor you can actually buy.
https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/guy-martin-pilots-the-world-s-fastest-tractor-to-a-record-top-speed-of-1537-mph-ar187076.html#:~:text=Guy%20Martin%20Pilots%20The%20World%E2%80%99s%20Fastest%20Tractor,to%20a%20Record%20Top%20Speed%20of%20153.7%20MPH
As for production models, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Lookin' at YOU John Deere! Murica!