After just one week, Mercedes-AMG has broken the Bathurst track record again: Romain Dumas beats the time in the electric Ford SuperVan 4.2
A new record time was set on February 25, 2024 – by an electric van from Ford. Romain Dumas lapped the 6.213-kilometre circuit in the Ford SuperVan 4.2 in 1:56.3247 minutes, almost three tenths of a second faster than Gounon a week ago in the Bathurst 12 Hours.
Dumas set his best time this weekend in the Bathurst 500 of the Australian Supercars series. Last year, Dumas had already competed in the hill climb at Pikes Peak with the Ford Transit powered by four electric motors.
“Although both mountains are impressive in their own right, Mount Panorama and Pikes Peak couldn’t be more different in their challenges,” says Dumas. “This is the first time I’ve driven the SuperVan 4.2 faster than 300 km/h. We left no stone unturned to set the fastest lap. No one has ever driven around Mount Panorama in a vehicle like the SuperVan 4.2, let alone this fast!”
Four electric motors deliver 2,000 hp
Compared to the Mercedes-AMG GT3, with which Gounon set the record just over a week ago, the Ford Supervan looks far less like a racing car despite its rear wing and huge diffuser with its large frontal area. At 1,800 kilograms, it also weighs around 500 kilograms more than a GT3 vehicle
On the other hand, the four electric motors together generate around 2,000 hp – a good three times as much as the unlimited GT3 from Mercedes-AMG, which, in combination with the all-wheel drive, is particularly noticeable when it comes to acceleration.
“The effort and expertise required to set the record for a closed-wheel vehicle around Mount Panorama is hard to fathom,” says Ford Head of Motorsport Mark Rushbrook.
Next appearance at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne
“Romain Dumas has worked tirelessly with our team on the car and the result is a time that exceeds our own expectations. It’s not for nothing that we decided to take the SuperVan 4.2 to Mount Panorama after Pikes Peak – there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world,” continued Rushbrook.
Ford first presented the SuperVan 4.2 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2022 and has since used it to demonstrate the performance of vehicles with electric drive. The vehicle will make its next appearance at the end of March 2024 at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
