Toyota Prius Plug-in Sets Nrburgring Lap Record
Although records on the Nürburgring tend to always be about speed and horsepower, Toyota has taken to the famous German race track to set a new record.
Toyota took a Prius Plug-In Hybrid fitted with TRD parts and managed to lap the 12.9 mile track on less than five tablespoons of fuel. The car’s computer calculated fuel consumption at 698 mpg.
The lap took place on a dry, breezy day, and the car managed an average speed of 40 mph over the lap, which took the Prius 20 minutes and 59 seconds to complete. The TRD upgrades fitted to the car included lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in low-rolling resistance tires, upgraded suspension and aerodynamic improvements.
SEE ALSO: Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Review
The Prius Plug-In should be able to run 15.5 miles on electricity alone, so the goal for Toyota was to run the car around the Nürburgring using electricity alone.
“Although the 12.9-mile distance is similar to a typical commuter trip, the difference here is a rise and fall in elevation of around 1,000 feet,” said the driver, Moe Clifford, an automotive journalist. “In fact it was only on one long climb that the petrol engine cut in, and then only for a short while. Without that, we think we might have even achieved the ultimate 999.9mpg read-out – the highest figure the display can show.”
GALLERY: Toyota Prius Plug-In Nürburgring Record
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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Most boring Nrburgring lap ever.