The Mercedes-AMG One has reclaimed its title for the fastest production car lap at the Nürburgring Nordschleife—this time, surpassing its own previous record. Two years ago, it secured the record with a time of 6:35.18, besting the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey. On September 23, 2024, Mercedes returned to the iconic track and achieved an impressive new record of 6:29.09, making the AMG One the first road car to complete the lap in under 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
“The track conditions were not ideal two years ago, with some parts still damp,” noted Maro Engel, the Mercedes DTM driver who piloted both record-setting laps. “We believed we could improve our time, and today we demonstrated the full potential of the AMG One. I’m grateful to the entire team from Affalterbach for the trust they placed in me. It was a true honor and pleasure to drive this remarkable car to a record lap.”
This time, Mercedes benefited from optimal track conditions, with ambient temperatures at 59°F and surface temperatures around 68°F. The track was dry across the nearly 13 miles of the circuit. Barring a significantly bolder driver, it seems unlikely that this record will be surpassed any time soon.
To highlight the achievement of the Mercedes-AMG One, it’s worth noting that it has only been 11 years since the first production car broke the seven-minute barrier at the Nürburgring, when the Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Package completed a lap in 6:57 in 2013. It has taken over a decade for a production vehicle to improve this time by half a minute, making it hard to foresee any significant advancements in the near future. With its Formula 1-inspired V6 hybrid powertrain generating 1,063 horsepower and a weight of 3,736 pounds, the AMG One also features an F1-style drag reduction system (DRS). Consider what will be necessary to achieve even better performance. It’s a certainty that someone will eventually break this record, but predicting when and what vehicle will do so is anyone’s guess.
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