Top Gear is on indefinite hiatus, but The Stig still seeks ultimate speed. The tame racing driver recently tore up the test track at Dunsfold in a Ford Transit, of all things. Of course, this particular Transit isn’t a typical van. Really, it’s not a van at all.
We’re talking about the Ford SuperVan 4.2. It’s merely shaped like a van, and even then, it incorporates some wild aero to maximize downforce. The “sides” are actually buttresses connected to the massive wing at the back. The van body scrunches in behind the front seats, leaving precisely zero room to haul anything. With 4,400 pounds of downforce and up to 2,000 horsepower from its electric powertrain, the SuperVan has set numerous track records including Pikes Peak in 2023.
It doesn’t set a record at the Top Gear track, even in the hands of The Stig. But it sure comes close. The video above shows multiple laps, the first being the one dedicated to pure speed. We’re treated to a mix of in-car and outside footage showing the van absolutely planted around the familiar corners. It crosses the line with a time of 1:05.3, claiming third place on the overall leaderboard. After that, The Stig celebrates by smoking the hides through an exhibition lap.
The van almost beat the Lotus T125, an F1-shaped track-only sports car with less power and considerably lower weight. The Renault R24—an actual F1 car—remains comfortably in first with a time of 59.0 seconds. But the van beat the track-only Pagani Zonda R by over three seconds, and eclipsed the McLaren 720S GT3X by two seconds.
Will anything beat the Renault for the overall record before the track is destroyed? Development on the Dunsfold Park project is ongoing, which will ultimately see 1,800 homes and a new park replace the old aerodrome.
Source:
Top Gear / YouTube
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