Man breaks the Nürburgring van lap record in a diesel Volkswagen
Published on Jun 09, 2025 at 3:47 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Jun 09, 2025 at 9:13 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Fenton
This guy used a diesel Volkswagen van to beat a Nürburgring record originally set by the late racing driver Sabine Schmitz.
This new record also highlights an interesting coincidence.
More to the point, this van beat the previous record by over a minute.
This, among other things, also made this van faster than some supercars.
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This guy set a new Nürburgring van lap record at the wheel of a VW Caddy, which is interesting because it means this record has so far only been set with either a Volkswagen or a Ford van.
This brings us on to the original record, set over 20 years ago, which was popularized almost by accident by the late racing driver and TV personality Sabine Schmitz.
It all started because Sabine wanted to prove a point and show Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson that she could lap the ‘Ring faster with a van than he could with a Jaguar sedan.
That’s exactly what happened because Sabine, with Richard Hammond as a passenger, by the way, lapped the ‘Ring in 10 minutes and eight seconds, faster than Clarkson’s Jag.
The record was then broken twice, first in 2018 in another diesel Volkswagen van and then again in 2021 with a Ford Transit van.
Now, a Volkswagen vehicle has reclaimed the record.
Dan Silverster and Darkside Developments, a tuning company, used a modified VW Caddy with 365 horsepower to beat the record.
They did it in 8 minutes and 27 seconds, which is shockingly fast for a van.
For the record – no pun intended – this makes this van faster than, among others, a Lotus Exige, an Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and the E39 M5, yes, the one Mate Rimac loves.
Believe it or not, the aforementioned vehicles – and plenty more – were slower around the Nürburgring than the VW van.
Everyone drives around the Nürburgring, from ancient Rolls-Royces to long-forgotten Mercedes models, and there’s a Nürburgring record for everything.
And yet, surprisingly, there aren’t many vans on that list.
Pity.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
