Ford SuperVan 4.2 rewrites history with new records

The Ford SuperVan 4.2 raced to victory at Mount Panorama in Australia during the Bathurst 500 race weekend; setting a trio of lap records. In it’s blitz around the fearsome 6.2-km lap, the Ford SuperVan 4.2 secured benchmark times for the quickest closed-wheel vehicle, electric vehicle, and commercial vehicle.

With Romain Dumas at the helm, Ford SuperVan 4.2 lapped Mount Panorama in an electrifying time of 1:56.3247. That’s 10-seconds faster than the V8 supercars that race there regularly. A top speed in excess of 300 km/h was clocked on both Mountain Straight and Conrod Straights. Pole position time for the Bathurst 500 race was a mere 2:06.5465.

FORD SUPERVAN 4.2 AT THE MOUNTAIN

Ford says the new benchmark time from SuperVan 4.2 heralds a new era for electric vehicles. The purpose-built EV beat an unrestricted GT3 race car in the process. “The effort and expertise it took to reset the benchmark lap time for a closed-wheel vehicle around Mount Panorama cannot be understated,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports.

MUST READ: SABC unable to broadcast Banyana games

“Romain Dumas worked alongside our team to innovate and adapt, and the result is a time that exceeded all expectations. There is a reason why we chose to bring SuperVan 4.2 to Mount Panorama after Pikes Peak – there is nowhere quite like it in the world,” said Rushbrook. This is the second major record Romain Dumas has re-written with Ford SuperVan 4.2, following his monumental Pikes Peak International Hillclimb run in 2023.

HILLCLIMB BEAST

“This is the first time I have driven the Ford SuperVan 4.2 faster than 300 km/h, and we left nothing on the table as we pushed for the fastest lap possible,” said Romain Dumas. The Ford SuperVan 4.2 may have 2000 horsepower but it is not your traditional race car. Standing at roughly double the height of a GT3 race car, weighing almost 1800 kg, and with not a drop of fuel in sight, nothing like it has ever tackled the legendary tarmac of Mount Panorama.

After two weeks of running at Mount Panorama, the Ford SuperVan 4.2 will now be transported to the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and Rolex Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix later in the year. But not before race fans got to see what electric performance is all about. 10 seconds faster than the V8 supercers … wowzers!