Toyota’s EV racer sets ‘Ring record…

Some perspective is required. This, the electric Toyota EV P002, is quicker around the Nürburgring than Walter Röhrl in a Porsche 911 GT2. In fact, it's quicker than Walter Röhrl in a ruddy Carrera GT.

You might recall this little silent wonder. Last year, it raced around the Green Hell in a record time of just 7m 47s - record time for an electric car, that is. Now, we have just been duly informed that Toyota has somehow managed to shave off 25 seconds from that time, because the EV P002 has just set a new fastest ‘Ring time of 7m 22s.

According to The Internet and its infallible sources of Facts*, this is on par with a Corvette Z06 and Dodge Viper ACR. It trumps a Ferrari 458 Italia, for crying out loud.

Except of course, it's not loud. It's...silent. Jochen Krumbach had just the thoughts in his head to accompany his seven minutes of action, what with there being no actual internal combustion engine to make any noise. It's powered by two electric motors and a lithium ceramic battery in a package weighing just 970kg, to deliver around 375bhp and a top speed of 162mph.

This time around, it was charged overnight from the back of a Toyota Hiace van with a ‘Quick Charger', something the company reckons will help electric motorsport flourish. It might also be useful for powering mobile barbeques, but that's another story.

Ludwig Zeller, TMG general manager, seemed more chuffed with the mobile electric charger, rather than slicing 25 seconds off the time: "This is an aspect of electric motorsport which has not been discussed at length but it is very significant: electric race cars need to be charged and it is a challenge to have the right infrastructure at race tracks."

Yes, it's a racer, and 'Ring records are meant for road cars blah blah blah. But, Ludwig, isn't it a bit more exciting that something which sounds like a London Underground Tube can punt around the Nürburgring quicker than a ruddy Carrera GT?

*Many of them could actually be quite wrong