SuperVan 4.2 becomes fastest closed-wheel vehicle to lap Mount Panorama
- Ford’s all-electric SuperVan 4.2 has rewritten the history books, becoming the fastest closed-wheel vehicle to ever lap Mount Panorama,
- Resets timing benchmark for an electric and commercial vehicle
- Driver Romain Dumas set the new lap record with a time of 1:56.3247 around the 6.2-kilometre Mount Panorama circuit
History has been made at Mount Panorama during the Thrifty Bathurst 500 event with the Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2 setting a trio of lap records, securing the benchmark time for the quickest closed-wheel vehicle, electric vehicle, and commercial vehicle to lap the 6.2-kilometre racetrack.
With Romain Dumas at the helm, SuperVan 4.2 lapped Mount Panorama in an electrifying time of 1:56.3247, with a top speed in excess of 300km/h achieved on both Mountain Straight and Conrod Straight. The lap time was set just after the Australian Supercars Top 10 Shootout, which finished with a pole time of 2:06.5465.
Benchmark time from SuperVan 4.2
The new benchmark time from SuperVan 4.2 is a line in the sand, heralding a new era for electric vehicles, with the purpose-built demonstrator pushing the limits of EV performance during its time in Bathurst, beating an unrestricted GT3 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. ‘Romain Dumas worked alongside our team to innovate, learn, adapt, and the result is a time that exceeded our own 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.”
This is now the second time Romain Dumas has re-written the history books with SuperVan 4.2, following his record-smashing run at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb last year.
“While both are impressive mountains in their own right, Mount Panorama and Pikes Peak couldn’t be more different in their challenges,” said Romain Dumas.
SuperVan 4.2 faster than 300km/h
“This is the first time I have driven SuperVan 4.2 faster than 300km/h, and we left nothing on the table as we pushed for the fastest lap possible. No one has ever driven a vehicle like SuperVan 4.2 around Mount Panorama, and certainly not this quickly!”
SuperVan 4.2 is not your traditional race car. Standing tall at roughly double the height of a GT3 race car, weighing almost 1800kg, and with not a drop of fuel in sight, nothing like it has ever tackled the legendary tarmac of Mount Panorama.
“For two weeks the SuperVan team didn’t stop working on making this electric van as fast as possible,” said Sriram Pakkam, Manager, Formula 1 and EV Demonstrators, Ford Performance.
“The global Ford Performance network was activated to ensure SuperVan 4.2 was as capable as possible. Almost immediately Mount Panorama challenged both car and team, but we were able to implement a number of key changes that improved our capabilities and brought the lap times down every session.”
After two weeks of running at Mount Panorama, fans have been able to see what electric performance truly means, and glimpse into an electrified future of motorsport.
“SuperVan 4.2 really has to be seen to be believed, and we are thrilled that Aussie race fans have been able to witness its history making runs around Mount Panorama,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford Australia.
“Lessons learned from SuperVan’s running in Australia will have a direct flow into Ford’s next generation of electric road cars. That means future products that customers drive on our roads will have a little spirit of Mount Panorama carried within them.”
SuperVan 4.2 will now be transported to Ford’s Proving Ground in Victoria, before its appearances at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and Rolex Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Ford SuperVan 4.2 extends Australian tour
February 14 Update
Ford SuperVan 4.2 extends Australian tour with stops at Adelaide Motorsport Festival and Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix
- SuperVan 4.2 completes successful shakedown at Sydney Motorsport Park ahead of Bathurst Superfest demonstrations
- SuperVan 4.2 to thrill crowds with dynamic display at Adelaide Motorsport Festival across March 15 to 17
- SuperVan 4.2 set for the global stage at the Rolex Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park with special surprise guest driver from March 21 to 24
The all-electric Ford SuperVan 4.2 will attend a further two events in Australia as part of its local tour, with stops at both the Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival and Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix locked in for the 2000-horsepower E-Transit racer.
SuperVan 4.2 will take part in on-track dynamic demonstrations at both events, while also being joined by a number of road and race vehicles from the wider Ford family for static display.
News of the additional events
The news of the additional events follows SuperVan 4.2’s official arrival in Australia late last week, with the electric demonstrator completing a successful shakedown test at Sydney Motorsport Park on Tuesday, February 13.
The test allowed the Ford team to complete system checks ahead of SuperVan 4.2 making a series of high-speed demonstrations at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit during both the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour and Thrifty Bathurst 500.
“SuperVan 4.2 was built to thrill crowds, and demonstrate the capability of Ford’s electric performance vehicles, so we are very excited to be able to show more Aussies what makes this the most exciting van on earth,” said Sriram Pakkam, Senior Manager, Formula 1 and EV Demonstrators, Ford Performance.
While Romain Dumas will be at the helm of SuperVan 4.2 as it takes on the challenge of Mount Panorama, a number of special guests will don their race suits to steer the electric monster at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and Australian Grand Prix.
Adelaide Motorsport Festival
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival has quickly become a must-attend event for Aussie rev-heads, with SuperVan 4.2 to bring a taste of the future. SuperVan 4.2 will be joined on track by a supporting cast of Ford road and race cars.
During the Australian Grand Prix, SuperVan 4.2 will tackle the Albert Park circuit with a special guest at the wheel on Thursday, March 21. It will then be on display at the Ford Performance Experience display in the Fan Zone from March 22 to 24, allowing Aussie racing fans a chance to see the electric demonstrator up close and personal alongside the all-new seventh-generation Mustang Dark Horse, and all-electric Mustang Mach-E GT.
“Ford is on an exciting electrification pathway, and SuperVan 4.2 is a great illustration of what electrified performance can mean,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford Australia.
“With more stops added to the SuperVan tour in Australia, EV and performance fans around the country will be given an opportunity to see this feat of engineering and the next-level performance it delivers.”
Ford SuperVan 4.2 coming to Australia
18 Jan Update
Ford’s E-Transit SuperVan 4.2 is set to electrify Australia’s Mount Panorama racing circuit during the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour race weekend with a series of thrilling public demonstrations.
- Romain Dumas to pilot all-electric SuperVan 4.2 in a series of dynamic demonstrations around the legendary Mount Panorama circuit
- SuperVan 4.2 to be on public display throughout Bathurst ‘SuperFest’ to allow Australian racing fans an opportunity to get an in-person look at the legendary vehicle
- This will be the first time a Ford SuperVan will appear in Australia, more than fifty years since the debut of SuperVan 1
The all-electric demonstrator vehicle will be unleashed upon Australia’s most famous racing circuit with Romain Dumas at the helm in a series of runs set to thrill onlookers during both the build-up to Australia’s international GT3 enduro, and the Thrifty Bathurst 500 Supercars season opener the following weekend.
Mount Panorama is the latest stop on SuperVan 4.2’s global tour, with the track monster previously conquering the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in the USA.
SuperVan 4.2 will take on the challenge of Mount Panorama
“SuperVan 4.2 will take on the challenge of Mount Panorama in the same configuration it raced in at Pikes Peak – as the ultimate expression of what is possible with electric performance and Ford’s EV technology,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports.
“Mount Panorama stands tall as the ultimate motorsport challenge in Australia, and we are excited to see SuperVan 4.2 attack its legendary twists and turns.”
Along with high-speed demonstration runs during the race weekends, SuperVan will be on display throughout the Bathurst ‘SuperFest’ week and taking part in a number of public activations, allowing Australian racing fans their first opportunity to see the latest iteration of the iconic concept’s lineage.
“Driving SuperVan 4.2 is always a huge privilege and after the successful outing at Pikes Peak, I am delighted that the Ford Performance team keep finding new and exciting ways to push the envelope. For any racing driver, Bathurst is a unique and exhilarating challenge and I can’t wait to give the Australian fans a show they will hopefully never forget,” said Romain Dumas.
With 1400 horsepower being delivered to all four wheels, SuperVan 4.2 already has an impressive track pedigree. During its assault on the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb the all-electric racer finished second outright and first in class – smashing the class record in the process.
This was thanks to a number of key upgrades since it was first revealed, as SuperVan 4.0, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2022, including the shedding of almost 400kg of weight, an enhanced battery and electric motors, and a new aerodynamic package capable of generating two tonnes of downforce at 240km/h.
More technical details on SuperVan 4.2 can be found here.
The Legend of SuperVan
The Repco Bathurst 12 Hour will be the first appearance of any Ford SuperVan on Australian soil, marking a historic moment for the famous nameplate which has thrilled racing fans around the world for more than fifty years.
There have been a number of high-performance Transit concepts throughout Ford’s history, with the very first, SuperVan 1, making its debut at Brands Hatch in the UK on Easter Monday, 1971.
The original SuperVan was powered by a mid-mounted 400 horsepower version of the monstrous V8 that powered the GT40 to victory at Le Mans.
SuperVan 1 became an instant hit, performing on-track demonstrations around the United Kingdom, demonstrating the type of dynamics that define Ford’s Transit nameplate.
It would be 13 years before the sequel, SuperVan 2, stormed onto the scene at the Donnington Truck Grand Prix in 1984. A year later, SuperVan 2 used all its Cosworth DFL V8 to achieve a stunning 280km/h at Silverstone.
In 1994 the same car underwent a massive upgrade, transforming into SuperVan 3 with a new seven-eighths scale fibreglass body and 650 horsepower Cosworth ‘HB’ V8, and would continue to perform public demonstrations until 2001.
Supervan 3 underwent a full restoration in 2004, recommencing public demonstrations to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ford Transit range.
The SuperVan name would then return in 2022 with the debut of SuperVan 4.0. Gone were the combustion engines of previous generations, replaced with four cutting-edge electric motors and a 50kWh battery.
A collaboration between Ford Performance and STARD, SuperVan 4.0 is capable of accelerating to 100km/h from a standstill in less than two seconds.
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