- Czinger’s 1,250 hp 21C eyes a Nürburgring lap record attempt.
- Laguna Seca record holder now targets the toughest proving ground.
- Effort unfolds as Ford and GM trade blows for U.S. bragging rights.
Just a few days ago, Ford announced that the new Mustang GTD Competition had lapped the Nurburgring in just 6:40.835, establishing a new benchmark for road-legal American performance cars. After Ford snatched away the title from Chevrolet, it appears the only homegrown hypercar-maker in the US is throwing its hat in the race for Green Hell glory.
A bright yellow Czinger 21C was recently snapped testing at the famous German circuit for the very first time. As development of the car was completed long ago, and Czinger is already producing and delivering the two-seat monster, it seems likely it’s chasing the outright road-legal lap record.
Read: This Tiny American Carmaker Just Crushed Koenigsegg’s Record
However, our spy photographers note this outing likely served as an initial test run, rather than a record attempt. The Nurburgring is the most demanding racetrack on the planet, and car manufacturers often spend weeks or months fine-tuning their vehicles for the circuit.
How Quickly Can It Go?
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The 21C certainly has the right ingredients to not only comfortably leave the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X in its wake, but may have enough to outgun the Mustang GTD Competition and potentially even rival the Mercedes-AMG One’s 6:29.090. Czinger currently holds the lap record around Laguna Seca after a back-and-forth battle with Koenigsegg, but the ‘Ring represents an entirely different challenge.
A decade ago, Koenigsegg took one of just seven One:1 hypercars it had built to the Nurburgring, chasing a lap record. However, the car suffered an ABS sensor failure and was destroyed in a crash. Two years prior, an Agera R was wrecked at the same track. With no margin for error at the track, Czinger will need to get a driver who’s familiar with the circuit and comfortable with extracting the most out of the 21C.
Powering the 21C is a 2.88-liter twin-turbocharged V8 complemented by three electric motors, resulting in a combined 1,250 hp that’s sent to the rear wheels. It also delivers over 2,000 kg (4,409 lbs) of downforce at 190 mph (306 km/h), which should help it stick to the tarmac.
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