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Mercedes-AMG One sets new Nurburgring lap record

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The F1-inspired Mercedes-AMG One has become the fastest production car to lap the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

The new hypercar clocked 6:35.183 minutes, beating the previous record (set by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS) by a remarkable eight seconds.

Despite less-than-ideal track conditions, DTM racing driver Maro Engel waited until his final attempt to set his hottest lap of the 13-mile “Green Hell”.

“That was really an unforgettable experience,” said Maro, after completing the lap. “I didn’t expect that we would be able to set such a lap time with these track conditions.

“In some crucial areas of the track, it hadn’t dried completely yet and was therefore tricky. That was a special challenge.”

The Mercedes-AMG One is powered by a hybrid setup which combines one combustion engine with four electric motors, delivering 1,049bhp in the process. It has a claimed top speed of 218.7mph, active aerodynamics (including a DRS function) and all-wheel-drive.

Tags F1 Formula 1 Formula One hybrid hypercar Mercedes-AMG One Nürburgring Nürburgring Nordschleife Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who’s worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

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2024 Audi A6 e-tron Spied Testing at the Nurburgring Ahead of Reveal

Car Spy Media captured the 2024 Audi A6 e-tron at the iconic track, previewing the super-stylish, all-electric sedan.

The 2024 Audi A6 e-tron has been spied testing at various locations around the globe recently, which means that we’re getting ever-closer to an official reveal for the latest all-electric stunner in the brand’s portfolio full of them. Now, Car Spy Media has spotted a 2024 Audi A6 e-tron prototype taking some hot laps at the iconic Nurburgring, giving us an even better look at this stylish machine showing off its impressive – albeit silent – performance.

Riding on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform co-developed by Porsche and Audi, the A6 e-tron will share its underpinnings with the upcoming Macan EV, though it will also compete directly with the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan and the Tesla Model S. A traditional mid-size sedan accessible to a wider berth of buyers, the A6 e-tron looks much like the concept that preceded it, at least from what we can tell given the fact that it’s completely covered in heavy camo.

Details regarding the new A6 e-tron’s powertrain remain a bit of a mystery, though the concept was powered by a pair of electric motors churning out a combined 470 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, which drive all four wheels. That’s enough to propel the sedan from a standstill to 62 miles-per-hour in less than four seconds.

The A6 e-tron concept also utilizes a 100 kilowatt-hour battery that provides up to 435 miles of range on a single charge, though that’s using Europe’s notoriously optimistic WLTP cycle, so we can expect a bit less than that when the EPA gets its hands on the stylish new model. Charging should at least be brisk, as the concept’s 270 kilowatt fast-charging system can reportedly add 186 miles of range in just 10 minutes.

Set to go on sale in 2023 as a 2024 model year vehicle, the A6 e-tron figures to be an interesting addition to the brand’s EV lineup, and one that should prove quite attractive to buyers that are looking for something a bit more traditional and perhaps even more stylish than the Model S, as well as a proper alternative to the very similar EQE.

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Audi Puts A6 E-Tron Through the Paces at the Nurburgring

A6 E-Tron

The A6 E-Tron is out in the wild, lapping the Green Hell and getting closer to launch!

Audi recently previewed the new A6 E-Tron Avant, revealing its sleek styling. Now, as reported by our sister site, MotorAuthority, it appears Audi’s putting the sedan through its paces. Last month the A6 E-Tron showed up in the Arctic Circle for range testing. And this week it showed up at everybody’s favorite high-speed playground – the Nurburgring.

Now, because we didn’t license the spy photos directly, we can’t show you the A6 E-Tron on the Ring. So can click on the link above to see yourself. Or imagine with us… the A6 E-Tron tearing around the corners under extremely heavy camouflage. The overall shape matches the sleek profile of the concept car but lacks definition. It’s like looking at a naked mannequin and trying to imagine it wearing clothes.

Anyhoo, rather than stare at a mannequin or a car camouflaged to hide in plain sight, why not gaze at these gorgeous concept images from Audi’s press page? Better, right?

In reality, the car hidden in plain sight appears to stay true to the original concept. It wears Audi’s new design language that debuted with the E-Tron and E-Tron GT. A large grille opening framed by recessed ducts on the outer edges covers the front. Split headlights match the profile of other future models. In back, basic tail lights added to the anonymity of the test car. But it’s not a stretch to imagine it wearing a narrow band of lights like the concept car or the other E-Tron siblings.

A6 E-Tron

What we do know is the A6 E-Tron shares VW’s Premium Electric Platform. That puts it in good company with other electric vehicles from Audi, Porsche, and Bentley including other E-Tron models and the Porsche Macan EV. Power numbers are not final, but we hope to see the A6 E-Tron produced with the concept’s dual-motor setup. With an estimated 470 horsepower and 590 lb. feet of torque, it should sprint to 60 mph in under four seconds and provide a range of over 400 miles on a single charge.

A6 E-Tron

We’d love to see the unofficial lap times from the Nurburgring outing and find out how close those numbers are. But we’d settle for seeing the A6 E-Tron in person and getting behind the wheel. Audi has not revealed the A6 E-Tron’s interior which we expect will be similar to the E-Tron GT. That means a well-appointed cabin with an all-glass dashboard layout including the instrument panel, a large central touch-screen, and physical buttons for essential functions.

Audi has yet to announce an official launch date for the A6 E-Tron. Depending on testing, it could be later this year or sometime in 2023. Realistically it will follow the Q6 E-Tron crossover’s debut and then be followed by an A6 E-Tron Avant.

Photos: Audi

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Mark Webb

Mark Webb is fascinated by anything automotive and particularly loves cars that are unusual or have a good story. He’s owned a variety of cars from 60’s muscle, Japanese imports, and oddities like a VW Thing and Porsche 924. After 20 years in the automotive and tech industries, he’s a walking encyclopedia of car info and is always on the lookout for his next project or a good road trip.

YouTuber Takes Grandmother Around the ‘Ring in Audi R8

Grandma in Audi R8

Even when traveling over 180 mph, this grandmother proved cool as a cucumber on a lap around Germany’s famous Nürburgring.

When I first saw the title of YouTuber Misha Charoudin’s latest video, I have to admit, I was expecting something slightly different. Remember the clip of former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese taking his wife for a spin in a Honda Civic Type R? The one where she goes ballistic and seems to invent a hundred new Italian swear words? That’s kind of what I was thinking. But as it turns out, Charoudin’s grandmother proves cool as a cucumber — even when he’s pushing the Audi R8 to over 180 mph.

That makes the clip even more fun, honestly. The sweet lady genuinely seems to be having a good time, which is pretty impressive. Because as we all know, the Nürburgring is a challenging track with lots of elevation changes and sharp turns. So the g-forces the pair are experiencing aren’t exactly nonexistent. When I’ve run hot laps on challenging circuits, I’ve occasionally had folks less than half her age ask me to back off, so the fact that she never tapped out makes her a total winner in my book.

At one point, she says she’s only driven around 60 mph, which makes sense given the quality of the cars she experienced growing up in the Soviet Union. Even at that relatively tame speed, something like a Trabant would likely be shaking itself to pieces. Fortunately, the Audi displays no such problems when Charoudin visits the upper registers of the speedometer, and the famous quattro all-wheel drive keeps it stuck to the tarmac in the corners. Now I have to wonder if grandma has got the bug — maybe we’ll even see her behind the wheel in a future video?

My beloved grandmother passed away over a decade ago, and given what I remember about her driving, I don’t think she would have enjoyed a lap like this. My mother, on the other hand, would likely have a blast. She’s the one who taught me to drive stick, and when I was in college, her daily driver was a five-speed Nissan 240SX. She’s in her early 70s now, but she still rocks a BMW 3 Series, so I’m going to see about taking her for a spin around her local circuit when I’m back for the holidays…

Photos: YouTube

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2022 Audi RS 3 Snatches Nürburgring Class Record from Renault

2022 Audi RS 3

In the sport compact class, the red-hot 2022 Audi RS 3 is the new king of the Ring — and it wasn’t even close.

Given everything we’ve heard about the 2022 Audi RS 3, you didn’t have to be Nostradamus to predict it was going to be quick. Now, we know just how quick Ingolstadt’s new pocket rocket is. Because back in June, factory hot shoe Frank Stippler laid down a blistering time of 7:40.748 minutes, and smashed the compact car record. That beat the previous record — set by Renault using a Mégane R.S. Trophy-R — by nearly five seconds, so smashed is hardly hyperbole.

For safety reasons, the RS 3 in question was fitted with a roll cage and racing seats, which likely made it slightly heavier than bone stock versions. But aside from those concessions to the dangerous beast that’s the Green Hell, the car was stock, down to the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slicks it was shod with for the lap. For track rats, they’ll be a must-have option, and according to Stippler, ensuring the proper pressures in the super-sticky rubber was key to the victory.

In the official press release, Technical Project Leader Marvin Schwätter didn’t specify exactly how tweaked the PSI was from the standard settings. For new owners headed to the circuit, that’d be a handy piece of info, so perhaps it’ll come out in the wash. Another key to the run was the trick torque splitter at the rear, which during corners, pipes twist to the outer wheels. This is the first time such a system has been employed on an Audi, and the distribution of power ensures both understeer and oversteer are kept in check.

According to Stippler, the multi-disc clutch system is “a quantum leap in terms of agile driving,” and given its success on the circuit, something we’re sure to see on future Audi models. Of course, other go-fast bits like adaptive dampers, ceramic brakes, and aggressive RS Performance modes were part of the package too, and help demonstrate just how potent the new RS 3 is when the gloves comes off. Watch the video below, and remember that buyers in the States aren’t left out of the fun. So stay tuned for info on when this record-beating sport compact will be available on our shores!

Photos: Audi

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