The newest Audi RS 3 has proven itself as the fastest-going compact car of the North Loop, having lapped up all of its 20.8 kilometers (12.9 miles) in mere 7 minutes 40.748 seconds.
The new record sees the previous champion, the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R, dethroned by just 4.64 seconds. As it turns out, the company actually performed the winning run in June, before the next-gen RS 3 even debuted before the public, hence the camouflage.
The sedan received a plethora of upgrades for the run, including the optional Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slicks, a roll cage, front bucket seats, and assorted telemetry sensors. Frank Stippler of the Audi Sport subdivision sat behind the wheel.
Power was provided by a stock 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine rated at 401 PS (394 hp / 294 kW). A seven-speed pre-selective transmission delivers the momentum to all four wheels through a quattro AWD system with torque vectoring control. A sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 3.8 seconds, and the top speed can lie at either 250 or 290 kilometers per hour (155 or 180 miles per hour).
This is not the first Nürburgring record this summer. In June, the Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo S set a record in the SUVs, Vans and Pickup Trucks category by completing a lap in 7:38.925, dethroning the Audi RS Q8 with its 7:42.253.