Nio EP9 Is The Fastest Road Car To Ever Take On The Goodwood Hillclimb

The Volkswagen I.D. R wasn’t the only EV that set a record time at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It came as no surprise when the Volkswagen I.D. R not only set the fastest time at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed but also broke a new EV hillclimb record, beating the previous record time set by Jonny Cocker in an 850-hp Lola-Drayson B12 69/EV by 3.5 seconds. After all, this is the same car that smashed the all-time Pikes Peak record only a few weeks ago. Setting a time of 43.86 seconds, it wasn’t enough to beat the outright Goodwood Hillclimb record, however, which has been held by Nick Heidfeld for nearly 20 years after he drove McLaren MP4/13 grand prix racer up the hill in just 41.6 seconds.

No doubt Volkswagen will attempt to beat it again next year. However, the I.D. R wasn’t the only car to set an EV record at Goodwood. Technically, Volkswagen’s electric racer isn’t a production car - that honor goes to the Nio EP9. Driven by Peter Dumbreck, the Chinese electric supercar completed the 1.16-mile hillclimb course in just 44.61 seconds.

That makes the EP9 that fastest road-legal car to ever lap the Goodwood Hillclimb, beating the McLaren P1 LM's time of 47.07 seconds in 2016. It was also the fifth fastest time ever recorded in the event’s 25-year history. It’s worth noting, however, that the EP9 isn’t a regular production car since only 16 examples are being built. The car’s street legal tires were also swapped with racing slicks for the record run.

Nevertheless, the EP9 has proven that EVs will set new performance benchmarks for road cars. Powering the Chinese electric supercar are four electric motors delivering a combined 1,342 horsepower and 1,091. That’s enough power to propel the EP9 from 0-62 mph in -60 mph in 2.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 195 mph.

“When it came to my run in the Shoot Out this afternoon the timing beacon seemed to be down and I had to go back from the line, then go forward and get ready again, so it kind of broke my concentration,” said Dumbreck. “But once I got the signal to go, I was pushing very hard and ran just a little bit wide on turn two. It was very dirty and dusty, but it didn’t lose me too much time and I was back hard on the throttle again. From there, I think I did my best top half of the Hillclimb all weekend and I was able to do my fastest run of the event, so I am really happy. It could have been maybe a tenth or two faster, but I doubt that I would have beaten the Pike’s Peak hillclimb car here today, so all in all, we are very happy.”

This isn't the first record the Chinese electric hypercar has set, either. Last year, the Nio EP9 set a new EV record at the Nüuburgring with a time of 6:45.90 – a record that still hasn’t been beaten.

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12 Fastest Street Legal Cars of 2015

Vehicles serve a practical purpose; to get us from point A to point B, but for many a car is much more than a mere mode of transportation, it’s part of our identity and represents who we are. Those who desire performance, style and prestige in an automobile have a plethora of choice to get where they’re going, plus look and feel good in the process. This article will identify the fastest 2015 model production cars in various price categories and recommend the best bang for the buck performance sports cars rolling off assembly lines.

When we talk about fast cars, top speed is one benchmark but to own a million dollar Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, with a world’s fastest top speed of 431 km/h (268 mph), how many owners are really going to explore the upper echelon of 400 plus km/h? Unless you’re on the German Autobahn, responsible Canadians do not drive double the speed limit in our country. Bear in mind, being caught going 50 km/h above the speed limit in Ontario results in an automatic licence suspension.

A more relevant way to think about fast cars is acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 60 mph) and quarter mile time. Street racing is illegal however many with fast cars enjoy testing their performance and driving skills on a sanctioned racetrack under safe and legal conditions. There are many performance characteristics to consider when choosing a fast car. My recommendations are based on acceleration for normal driving conditions plus value and style. Below?are 12 of the fastest street legal cars of 2015 in production sold at Canadian dealerships.

RELATED: 10 Ways to Satisfy Your Need for Speed

2015 marks the release of an all-new sixth-generation of Ford’s iconic pony car – going stronger than ever 50 years into production. The affordable performance coupe starts at $24,068 for the base V6 model. Step up to the muscular 5.0L V8 GT and this Detroit built bad boy pounds the pavement with a whopping 400 lb-ft of torque and 435 horsepower accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 264 km/h. Available as a convertible and with several special editions, the Mustang will climb north of 50K however, the best bang for the buck performer is the Mustang GT Coupe, an excellent value starting at $33,867.

The Subaru WRX STI has a cult following of loyal “Sube” enthusiasts. Subaru’s high performance sport sedan is a winner on the rally circuit thanks to its all-wheel drive capability. Refreshed for 2015, the WRX STI is powered by a 2.5L turbocharged Boxer 4 cylinder engine producing 305 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque to propel it from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 4.5 seconds. Six-speed manual transmission is standard. With a staring price of $37,995, the STI offers Japanese quality and reliability with street and track credibility.

Honourable mention: Honda Civic Si, starting MSRP $26,850, Volkswagen Golf GTI, starting MSRP $27,995

Another American sports car icon has had a recent rebirth with the seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette. The base Stingray model has a starting MSRP of $63,395. The powerful V8 produces 460 horsepower and 456 lb-ft of torque to catapult the Stingray from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. If that isn’t enough power then shell out another 27K for the supercharged Z06 delivering 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque launching the Corvette into super car stratosphere for less than half the price of European exotics boasting the same performance stats (0 to 100 in under 3 seconds). The Z06 can be had for as little as $90,895. Seems like a bargain for that kind of performance.

RELATED:?Top 10 Sleeper Cars?

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is the fastest production sedan in the world. This top trim Charger is equipped with a 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8 with TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic delivering 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Hellcat can claw its way from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds thanks to wide 275/40ZR20 rubber. Massive Brembo brakes complete the sport appearance package and provide incredible stopping power. Just imagine, for a mere $78,080 you can take the family out in style and blow the doors off any high performance coupe on the road.

Honourable mention: Dodge Viper SRT, starting MSRP $92,995

Aptly dubbed “Godzilla” the GT-R is Nissan’s halo car embodying all the performance and technology that the Japanese automaker has to offer. The GT-R comes from a proud lineage of “Skylines” from the Japanese domestic market and was made available to purchase in North America with the introduction of the 2009 R35 model. The GT-R Nismo is considered one of the best handling production cars achieving the third fastest time at the famed Nürburgring racetrack, just behind the Porsche 918 Spyder and Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, two super exotics more than triple the price of the GT-R Nismo. The GT-R features a smooth dual clutch 6-speed transmission, all-wheel drive, 20″ RAYS wheels and 8 piston Brembo brakes. The 3.8L V6 Twin Turbo produces 545 horsepower to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds. The GT-R is undoubtedly one of the fastest cars in its price range starting at $110,000. A Black edition and NISMO are also available.

One of the most beautiful cars on the road, the F-Type R Coupe is the total package with distinctive style, performance and brand cache. Its 5.0L supercharged V8 engine produces 550 horsepower, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds with a top speed of 300 km/h. The interior is one of the nicest I’ve ever seen. Jaguar Canada president Lindsay Duffield joined me in the cockpit of the F-Type R at the Canadian International Auto Show and with great pride explained the layout and design that puts all controls at the finger tips of the driver. If I were to spend (in the ballpark of) $117,500 on a sports car, this would be my choice.

Honourable mention: BMW M6 Gran Coupé, starting MSRP $129,000

The 911 Turbo has greatly improved in every way over five decades of evolution. The low, wide stance has always maintained a curvaceous figure making this one of the sexiest sports cars and a pin up poster classic. There are numerous versions of the 911 within a 100,000 dollar price range however the Turbo version comes in near the top with an MSRP of $172,400 and has the performance to justify the price. The 6 cylinder Turbo produces 520 horsepower, goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 315 km/h.

RELATED:?2015 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Review

If someone were to give me 200,000 dollars to spend on any car, it would be the Audi R8 V10 for $170,500. This would (hopefully) leave me enough money to pay for insurance, gas and maintenance for a few years. You don’t see an R8 on the road every day but when you do, it turns heads and if you don’t see it right away, the exhilarating tuned exhaust note will grab your attention. The 5.2L FSI Quattro V10 makes 540 horsepower propelling the R8 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. Audi interiors are amongst the best in the automotive world. Choose from a 6 speed manual transmission or the smooth shifting Quattro S-tronic dual clutch transmission.

Honourable mention: Aston Martin DB9 Coupe, starting MSRP $198,132

The Lamborghini Aventador is the ultimate exotic super car with distinctive angles and incredible performance. You don’t have to be a celebrity to own an Aventador but you do have to come up with $440,500 (sell your house). This raging bull churns out 700 horsepower from its enormous V12 engine, goes 0 to 100km/h in a scant 2.9 seconds and hits a top speed of 350 km/h. Of course the doors open vertically on this top of the line Lambo.

When we think of exotic sports cars Ferrari is one of the first names that comes to mind. The 458 Speciale is the epitome of performance and Marenallo Italian design. This thoroughbred stallion is visually stunning with jaw dropping performance. The 4.5L V8 boasts 570 horsepower rocketing the 458 Speciale from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds flat. Costing $275,900, there are faster cars for less but none look as striking as the Ferrari 458 Speciale.

Honourable mention: McLaren 650S, starting MSRP $258,900

When we go beyond the half-million dollar mark there are several limited production super exotics that blast from zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and reach top speeds in excess of 300 km/h. However comparing these models is like splitting hairs in terms of performance stats and outrageous values that often exceed the listed MSRP. The fastest car from 0 to 100 is the 2015 Porsche 918 with a 2.2 second sprint and an $847,015 price tag. The current top speed champion is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport which maxes out at 431 km/h and costs seven figures.

Anything over $500,000 is amazing and very subjective however let’s think for a moment, if I were to win the lottery, what would my ultimate dream car be? When price is no object, it can be a difficult decision but here are a few of my personal favourites:

RELATED: Guess what billionaire Mark Zuckerberg drives to work??

The fastest production car in the world, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, achieves a top speed of 431 km/h and goes 0 to 100 in 2.4 seconds. The monstrous 8L W16 engine explodes with 1200 horsepower. It will cost you over two million dollars to buy this car so it had better be a big lottery jackpot!

Image Source: Bugatti

The Pagani Huayra looks and performs like a super exotic with its gull wing doors and outrageous sculpted silhouette. Accelerating 0 to 100 takes a scant 3 seconds and keeps going up to a top speed of 370 km/h. The twin turbo charged 6.0L V12 puts out 720 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. The limited and exclusive Pagani Huayra costs over one million dollars.

Bottom line, if you crave speed and performance consider what you’re willing to spend and there are several sports cars in each price bracket to choose from. I place as much value in safety, fuel efficiency, technology, comfort and ride characteristics plus overall quality of the vehicle, as pure performance stats. After all, you want a fast car to also be reliable and practical and suit your personal taste. It’s a great feeling to turn heads with what you’re driving but you don’t want to draw the wrong kind of attention and see flashing lights in your rear view mirror. When driving a fast car, always be aware of the speed limit.

RELATED:?Top 5 Ferraris of All Time?

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Fastest EV In The World Headed To Goodwood FOS

The NIO EP9 electric hypercar that broke the Nurburgring lap record will run at Goodwood.

Want to see the fastest EV in the world? Head to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. No, not the Rimac C_Two, although that boasts faster acceleration and a higher top speed. We're referring to the NIO EP9, the electric hypercar that lapped the Nurburgring last year in 6:45.9 – a good second and a half faster than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS – setting an EV lap record. Now the Chinese electric-vehicle startup is bringing that very car to Goodwood, where it will be reunited with the same driver that manhandled it around the Nordschleife.

The NIO EP9 also autonomously lapped the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, last year faster than any other self-driving car ever has. It's something of a technological marvel, packing four electric motors each producing over 335 horsepower for a combined output of 1,341 hp. Its batteries alone weigh 1,400 pounds, but carbon-fiber construction helps keep the curb weight down to 3,825 pounds. The result is a 2.7-second 0-62 mph time and a top speed quoted at 194 mph. While Peter Dumbreck drives the EP9 up the Earl of March's front lawn, NIO will display another EP9 along with its next-generation Formula E racer for fans to check out up close and in person.

Running at the time under the banner of its sister company NextEV, the NIO Formula E team won the first driver's championship with Nelson Piquet Jr behind the wheel in 2015. "It's our time to take to the global stage," said NIO performance chief Gerry Hughes. "We are all extremely excited at the thought of Peter Dumbreck unleashing the ground-breaking performance of the NIO EP9 Supercar." With its performance capabilities now thoroughly proven, NIO is in the process of putting the ES8 seven-seat electric crossover into production. The vehicle was unveiled last December, and is slated to start reaching customers later this year.

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Fastest Accelerating SUVs On The Planet

These are some of the fastest accelerating SUVs you can buy today.

Fast SUVs used to be rare one-offs, vehicles like the GMC Typhoon and BMW X5 4.6is were exploratory attempts by manufacturers to test these unfamiliar waters. But whenever they did, they found that shoppers were quite excited about the idea of being able to blast past sports cars in a big 4x4. Nowadays just about every manufacturer offers a speedy SUV, even supercar manufacturers have got into the game. With many offering mega power outputs and complex AWD systems, the day of the super SUV has arrived. These are the fastest ones around.

BMW X3 M40i

We warm up with a BMW that straddles the line between a full M car and the standard models in the range. The X3 M40i is an all-new model that may trail the rest of the big hitters here with its 355-hp 3.0-liter turbocharged motor but it still manages a very quick 4.6-second 0-60 mph time. That level of performance would embarrass an E46 M3 and in the X3 you still have space for five adults and their luggage.

Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S

The GLE 63 S goes into battle against its arch nemesis, the X5 M with a 577-hp 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8, this means you can launch yourself to 60mph in 4.1 seconds. It too is available in the now popular coupe body style although as with most German cars you are still limited to 155 mph, but outside of an Autobahn that hardly seems to matter.

BMW X5 M

The 567-hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 packed under the hood of the current X5M may be down 10-hp on the GLE 63 S but it still gets to 60 mph a fraction quicker at 4.0-second. That is on par with some of the fastest sports cars around and you can also have the same engine in the X6 M coupe if you don’t mind giving up some rear seating and cargo space.

Bentley Bentayga

The Bentayga was a big risk for Bentley, the thought of introducing a sporty Bentley SUV seemed at odds with the very traditional and considered model range that had come before it. Clearly the fears were unfounded and this 608-hp 12-cylinder twin-turbo monster was, until the arrival of the Urus, the fastest SUV on the roads. Its 187-mph top speed is still mightily impressive though, as is its 4.0-second 0-60 mph time.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

The brand-new Cayenne has just arrived and for now the top model is the 550-hp Turbo, the Turbo S variant will arrive later in the year. It doesn’t seem to want for more power though, as evidenced by its 3.9-second 0-60mph time and a 177mph top end. Still, it will be interesting to see what the more potent Turbo S will be capable of.

Maserati Levante Trofeo

The Maserati Levante is a luxurious and accomplished SUV which has finally been given an engine to match its performance aspirations. In upcoming Trofeo trim it gets a 590-hp twin-turbo V8 and a number of suspension and chassis upgrades over the rest of the range. Maserati claims it will reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and head on up to over 187 mph.These numbers are sure to be tested once it becomes available.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio features a Ferrari-derived 505-hp 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 and its all-wheel-drive traction gives it a searing 3.6-second 0-60 mph time that actually beats the lighter identically-powered RWD Giulia Quadrifoglio. No 155 mph top speed limit here, the Stelvio tops out at 176 mph.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk employs the age-old method of going quick, namely a massive engine with a supercharger bolted to it for good measure. The resultant 707 hp gets it to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds making it as fast as just about any European SUV and with a feral exhaust sound that few can match. Its price too is the lowest here, bang-for-buck you won’t find a better sporty SUV.

Lamborghini Urus

The latest addition to the super SUV crowd is the Lamborghini Urus. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 makes a serious 650 hp and it gets to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds (This means 3.5-seconds for the 0-60 mph benchmark) and at 190 mph, has the fastest top speed of any SUV ever. It may share some componentry with other VW Group SUVs, but it sure performs as a Lamborghini should.

Tesla Model X

The Tesla Model X P100D is currently the very fastest SUV on the planet. Its supercar-rivaling 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds demolishes everything else here but the launch process does take a little while to get right. Even if you get it wrong though, or attempt it with a half-full battery and passengers on board, you will still out drag most cars on the roads today. The 289-mile range is as good as any gas-powered cars too.

The Future Of Speed

These super speedy SUVs are just the tip of the iceberg though as the new wave of high-riding performance 4x4s are being readied for production. Aston Martin has the Varekai, Rolls-Royce will build an ultra-luxurious SUV called the Cullinan and even Ferrari is getting in on the action with an upcoming model it calls an FUV. Whatever your opinions about these developments, one thing is for certain, super SUVs are here to stay.

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Porsche Says These Are Its 5 Fastest Accelerating Models

Hybrid tech can be used for more than fuel efficiency.

In case you didn’t know, Porsche makes some really fast cars. The list is long and distinguished, but there are always standouts. Instead of us spending hours delving into Porsche history and looking over performance times, Porsche has done the work for us and created this latest video in its Top 5 Series. Using an abandoned airfield lined with smoking flares, Porsche brought each of these top five vehicles out for a little round of testing. And don’t think for a moment that Porsche’s fastest are only its coupes and supercars.

You see, there’s now a thing called hybrid boost technology, and Porsche has taken advantage of what it has to offer—in a Panamera and the 918 Spyder. Of course, there are some pretty fast 911s out there, specifically today’s 911 Turbo S and the GT2 RS.

Very recently, Porsche acknowledged that it’s working on a 911 hybrid. Not only will it be fuel efficient, but also the fastest 911 to date. It’s still a few years away, so for now, the 911 GT2 RS is the fastest version of the iconic butt-engined sports car you can buy today. Speaking of the GT2 RS, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves before you watch the video. We don’t want to give anything away.

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Porsche Says These Are Its 5 Fastest Accelerating Models

Hybrid tech can be used for more than fuel efficiency.

In case you didn’t know, Porsche makes some really fast cars. The list is long and distinguished, but there are always standouts. Instead of us spending hours delving into Porsche history and looking over performance times, Porsche has done the work for us and created this latest video in its Top 5 Series. Using an abandoned airfield lined with smoking flares, Porsche brought each of these top five vehicles out for a little round of testing. And don’t think for a moment that Porsche’s fastest are only its coupes and supercars.

You see, there’s now a thing called hybrid boost technology, and Porsche has taken advantage of what it has to offer—in a Panamera and the 918 Spyder. Of course, there are some pretty fast 911s out there, specifically today’s 911 Turbo S and the GT2 RS.

Very recently, Porsche acknowledged that it’s working on a 911 hybrid. Not only will it be fuel efficient, but also the fastest 911 to date. It’s still a few years away, so for now, the 911 GT2 RS is the fastest version of the iconic butt-engined sports car you can buy today. Speaking of the GT2 RS, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves before you watch the video. We don’t want to give anything away.

View the original article here