Audi R8 e-tron sets world record at Nurburgring

Audi's electric wonder, the R8 e-tron has a set a world record for a production electric car at the Nurburgring with a lap time of 8:09.099 minutes. Markus Winkelhock, Audi's Le Mans winning race driver, piloted the car around the demanding 20.8km track. The current lap record of 7:11.57 minutes is held by an Audi V8 powered 700PS Gumpert Apollo Sport.

The R8 e-tron used for the record setting lap is said to accelerate from 0-100kmph in 4.6s, with an electronically limited top speed of 200kmph. The car has two electric motors, both of which make 308PS of power and 820Nm of torque. The R8 e-tron, Audi claims will cover 215kms on a single charge.

Markus Winkelhock said, The record drives were a fantastic experience for me. Of course, the R8 e-tron is a production car, not a racing car with the assistance of aerodynamics. But with its low centre of gravity and rear biased weight distribution, it brings with it a lot of sporty qualities. The torque with which the electric motors propel the car uphill beats everything that I know - even if they make hardly any noise in the process, which at the start was really a completely new experience for me. In places where I really need traction, the torque vectoring - the displacement of the torque between the powered wheels - really helps me.