Lotus Evija Sets New Nurburgring Record

Fastest Production Car Lap: 6:24 Achieved by a Chassis Model

Do you recall the exotic Lotus Evija X we spotted testing at the Nürburgring last year? Well, it has officially been unveiled. This one-of-a-kind electric powerhouse is a track-exclusive variant of the hypercar and currently holds a unique title for being the quickest car around the Nordschleife with a production car chassis. Let us delve into the details.

It set a new record by finishing the lap in 6 minutes and 24 seconds, which is 11 seconds faster than the Mercedes-AMG One. The F1-powered vehicle is now the quickest street-legal car to ever race around the ‘Ring. Despite this achievement, the Lotus Evija X falls short of being the fastest overall to complete a lap of the Green Hell. The Volkswagen ID.R recorded a time of 6:05, while the unbeatable Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo holds the incredible record of 5:19.

Evija X laps the Nürburgring Nordschleife

As the ID. R and the 919 Hybrid Evo are not linked to production vehicles, Lotus can proudly highlight the Evija X’s impressive performance. It is important to mention that there was one other car even faster than the Lotus apart from those two. Back in 1983, Stefan Bellof set a lap time of 6:11 in the 956. Also in that year, Jochen Mass completed a lap in 6:16 driving the same car.

The Evija X is expected to make a comeback at the Nürburgring in an attempt to reduce its already impressive lap time. The record it set in October 2023 was on a wet track, leaving potential for enhancements. Lotus has teased that we should “stay tuned” for a possible faster time.

In addition to the extravagant aerodynamics featuring a large wing, the racing car is equipped with Pirelli slick tires, as well as updated shock absorbers and carbon fiber brakes. The chassis remains unchanged, consisting of a carbon fiber tub and a quad-motor configuration delivering 2,011 horsepower and 1,257 pound-feet of torque, mirroring the setup in the Evija road car. The four electric motors are powered by a compact 70-kWh battery pack positioned centrally behind the seats.

Lotus boasts an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in under three seconds and from 62 to 124 mph in less than three seconds too. The sprint from 124 mph to 186 mph is reportedly completed in less than four seconds. At its maximum speed, the road car is electronically limited to 218 mph. The production of the road-ready Evija has finally started several years after its introduction, with only 130 units planned for assembly.