Ford sets Nürburgring record that no supercar manufacturers will ever get close to
Published on Aug 19, 2025 at 3:11 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 19, 2025 at 3:11 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
Ford has set a new Nürburgring record that no supercar maker will ever touch.
Why? Because they used the 2,000-horsepower Transit SuperVan 4.2.
The souped-up van took on the iconic track with Romain Dumas behind the wheel.
The electric Transit SuperVan 4.2 already holds records at Bathurst and was a winner at Pikes Peak, now it’s got a new record under its belt as the fastest van to take on the Nürburgring.
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Ford sets Nürburgring record with the speedy Transit SuperVan 4.2
When you think of the Ford Transit van, you probably think of words like ‘dependable’, ‘reliable’, and ‘useful’.
But the Ford Transit SuperVan 4.2 will change all that.
The original concept was dreamed up back in the 1970s, with a second version arriving in 1984.
A third SuperVan, complete with an F1 engine, debuted in 1993, followed by a 2,000-horsepower EV version in 2022.
Ford has since trimmed a bit of weight and reduced a bit of its power to make the SuperVan 4.2 better than ever.
It was recently put through its paces at the legendary Nürburgring track.
On the day Dumas managed to fly the Transit SuperVan 4.2 around the 12.9-mile track in just 6:48.393, setting a new Nürburgring record as the fastest van to do so.
While it’s blisteringly fast for any van, the Transit SuperVan 4.2’s impressive time actually puts it as the ninth fastest vehicle to make its way around the track.
To give that a little bit of eye-opening context, its impressive Nürburgring time puts the Transit SuperVan 4.2 faster than a Porsche 911 GT3RS and the Chevrolet ZR1X.
Not bad for a van, right?
The challenge has an interesting back story
A Ford Transit and the Nürburgring might not seem like the most natural fit, but the whole thing actually has a very interesting background story.
It all began as a way to honor the late, great, and supremely fast Sabine Schmitz.
Years back, she joked to at-the-time Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson that she could lap the ‘Ring faster in a Transit van than he could in a Jaguar S-Type.
In a press release announcing the Transit SuperVan 4.2’s recent Nürburgring success the carmaker said ‘taking a Ford Transit to the limit around the ‘Ring has always been the dream for a few of us at Ford Performance’.
And with the SuperVan 4.2, the team finally felt like they had the vehicle to do it.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
