Top Gear: The 1,342bhp, 194mph NIO EP9 electric supercar beats Lamborghini and Radical

There’s a new lap record at the Nürburgring. And you may be delighted to know this one doesn’t involve hatchbacks with roll cages fighting over small handfuls of seconds. Nope, it’s a new overall production car record. And it’s really bloody fast.

Send your cards of congratulation to Chinese electric car maker NIO, whose EP9 supercar stopped the clock at 6min 45.9sec, as evidenced by this wobbly but nonetheless impressive on-board video.

It’s not only the fastest electric car around the Nordschleife, either, because that time is over six seconds quicker than the Lamborghini Huracan Performante and over two seconds quicker than the Radical SR8 LM. Those are the two production cars that have previously claimed overall honours at the ‘Ring. Which you hold in higher regard depends how much you value a roof and a production run beyond Single Vehicle Approval.

NIO taking honours with its first proper production car is blooming impressive, even if the EP9 does have a mighty 1342bhp and a 194mph top speed to call upon. And a £1.4million price tag.

What happens next is mightily interesting. It’s no secret that Jim Glickenhaus thinks his supercar can claim the record, even if he is a little apathetic about the process surrounding ‘Ring lap times. We wonder how rankled Lamborghini will be, too, mere months after the Huracan claimed so many headlines with its 6min 52.01sec lap.


YT: NIO EP9 Breaks the Nurburgring Nordschleife Lap Record. On May 12, 2017, the NIO EP9 set a new lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, achieving a lap time of 6m 45.900s (six minutes, 45.900 seconds).