Think of the fastest supercar you can. Got it? It’s slower around the ‘Top Gear” test track than an electric Ford Transit. Koenigsegg’s 1,600 horsepower Jesko Attack holds the current lap record around the Dunsfold circuit for street-legal vehicles with a one minute 10.9 second run. While ‘Top Gear” was still filming there, the Stig managed to top the times with a Ferrari SF90 Stradale just slightly behind at one minute 11.3 seconds. Honestly, there isn’t much out there quicker than those mega modern hypercars. So you might be surprised to learn that Ford’s updated Supervan 4.2 is faster than that Jesko by over six seconds!
The tire-burning 2040-horsepower electric all-wheel drive Supervan 4.2 is a Pikes Peak Hillclimb winner, a Goodwood hillclimb winner, and holds the record for non-F1 cars at Mount Panorama circuit in Australia. It’s the fastest damn van in the world. Okay, so it isn’t really much of a van anymore, with ridiculous downforce-inducing aero and no cargo room to speak of, but the STARD-built monster hauls more than enough ass to make up for its cargo deficiencies.
If it wasn’t already obvious, the virtues of electric propulsion are almost exactly in line with those of a time attack one-lap run. For something that only needs to have enough power to drive up a 12.42 mile hill, a short lap of the Dunsfold circuit is easy. With relatively easy and cheap power an electric racer can put down a seriously fast lap time, especially when it has been meticulously shaped in the wind tunnel to create as much downforce as possible.
There are only two vehicles faster than the Supervan 4.2 around the “Top Gear” track in the entire history of running cars around that track. The fastest remains the time The Stig drove Fernando Alonso’s old Renault F1 car. The second-fastest is the time Lotus sold an F1-like T125 track car.
