Nurburgring

Chinese newcomer NIO has claimed a blistering new Nurburgring lap record with its electric EP9 supercar, clocking 6:45.900 to become the outright fastest production car around the North Loop.

The latest front-wheel drive warrior to set a Nurburgring record is the Honda Civic Type-R, but the past few years have been such a record-breaking rollercoaster, we thought it was worth taking a look at the hyper-hatches that have lapped before it.

Although it can't magically create a motorsports heritage, Lamborghini says its new cars are razor-edged, not just designed for rich poseurs. The Huracan Performante, which will launch at the Geneva Motor Show, gives credence to that claim with a scalding Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time.

The Nordschleife has become the ultimate test bed for anyone who wants to prove their sports car is the real deal. Now, Mercedes has set a new rear-drive record for production cars with the AMG GT R.

In 2004, the Donkervoort D8 RS set a Nürburgring record, blowing the previous Porsche Carrera GT record away by close to 15 seconds. And now Donkervoort is launching that model's spiritual successor, the D8 GTO-RS.​

Lotus debuted the 3-Eleven at Goodwood earlier this year, calling the car its "quickest and most expensive series production car ever." But just how quick is it? To find out, the carmaker has been testing the 3-Eleven at the Nürburgring, and it turns out it's faster than even Lotus thought.

A hydrogen fuel cell car built by students from TU Delft university is claimed to have become the fastest of its kind to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The Forze VI car was unveiled in 2013 by the Forze student racing team. It is said to have lapped the circuit in under 11 minutes on May 7.

It looks as though the Nürburgring Nordschleife may have a new contender for its production car lap record. Two Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) SCG003C supercars were entered in the VLN Endurance Championship season opener with SCG saying their performances were cause for optimism.

Track day cars are the hothouse flowers of the automotive world. Radical, one of the more well known of these motorized hothouse denizens, has big ambitions for its new RXC Turbo 500. Radical aims to make it the fastest production car ever around the famous Nurburgring.

Last month, Land Rover claimed a new record for a production SUV as its 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR ran the Nordschleife circuit in eight minutes and 14 seconds. Now the company reveals the specs behind how a two and a half tonne Chelsea tractor is able to do a lap time like a stabbed rat.

A Range Rover Sport SVR has completed the renowned Nordschleife circuit at the Nürburgring in Germany in an unofficial 8 minutes and 14 seconds, making it the fastest production SUV ever to go around that track.

Renault is king of the hot hatches once again, after its Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R shaved four seconds from the Nürburgring lap record for two wheel-drive production vehicles. Renault achieved its record lap time of 7:54.36 by putting the R.S. on a strict diet, and bumping up its power output.