The Fastest Ford is Not a Supercar, But an Electric Transit Van: 1,400 Horsepower and Not for Sale

Ford Transit Sets a New Speed Record

Not a supercar, but the Ford Transit SuperVan 4.2 has certainly turned heads by leaving its mark at the Nürburgring race track – famously known as the “Green Hell.”

According to the announcement, this special vehicle completed a lap in an impressive 6 minutes and 48.393 seconds. With this feat, it not only broke the record for American vehicles but also claimed the 8th spot on the list of the fastest laps of all time. This achievement surpasses the records set by the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X (6 minutes and 49.275 seconds) and the Ford Mustang GTD (6 minutes and 52.072 seconds).

The skilled driver behind the wheel was none other than Romain Dumas, a veteran racer who previously set the record for the fastest electric vehicle lap at Nürburgring with the Volkswagen ID.R in 2019.

Following this impressive display, Ford proudly stated: “We are incredibly proud of the SuperVan, but we won’t stop here. There’s more excitement to come, especially with the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck also making an appearance at Nürburgring. For now, we celebrate this achievement and honor the memory of racer Sabine Schmitz – a special source of inspiration in this story.”

Sabine Schmitz, a legendary racer at Nürburgring, passed away in 2021 due to cancer. She also played a significant role in bringing the Ford Transit to the public eye through the Top Gear program, claiming she could complete a Nürburgring lap in under 10 minutes with this van. Her final time? An impressive 10 minutes and 8 seconds, leaving an indelible mark in the history of the race track.

Ford Transit’s Record-Breaking Electric Performance

However, unlike the familiar image of the Ford Transit, the SuperVan 4.2 is purely a racing vehicle in the body of a commercial van. Therefore, this achievement cannot be directly compared to street-tire vehicles like the Corvette ZR1X, ZR1, and Mustang GTD.

Ford revealed that the SuperVan 4.2 boasts a powerful electric powertrain capable of delivering an astonishing 1,400 horsepower. This very vehicle has conquered legendary race tracks like Bathurst and Pikes Peak. It is an upgraded version of the SuperVan 4, which debuted in 2022. The first-generation SuperVan made its appearance back in 1971 with a groundbreaking design, followed by the second generation in 1984 and the third in 1993, powered by an F1 engine.

While the SuperVan 4.2 will never enter commercial production, its Nürburgring record remains a significant milestone. Ford has showcased its ambitions in the electric vehicle arena and hinted at the potential for future commercial vehicles to incorporate some of the “speed monster’s” technology.