Publications
Partners
NURBURGRING, Germany – Top speed, not fuel consumption, is the target of most drivers and automakers when going for a record on the daunting Nurburgring in Germany but Toyota took another track...
The automaker turned tradition on its head when it took a Prius plug-in hybrid on to the Nordschliefe circuit to show not how fast the car could go but how little fuel it would use.
The test was conducted during a public session and so complied with all circuit rules, including the 60km/h minimum average speed.
NO SPECIAL TRICKS
Motoring journalist and Japanese-vehicle expert Joe Clifford achieved 296.7km/litre (0.4 litres/100km) on the 20.75km circuit while completing the lap in 20min59sec - an eternity in 'Ring time where sub-10 minutes is the target.
By comparison, the vehicle’s European-specification car’s official fuel consumption is 2.1 litres/100km so, according to Toyota, its hybrid used “less than five tablespoons of fuel to do the job”.
VIDEO: Watch a Prius hybrid get 296km/litre at the ‘Ring
The Pruis Plug-in has a 1.8-litre petrol engine and a compact rechargeable lithium-ion battery to drive an electric motor solo or in support of the petrol engine. Clifford’s Pruis was fitted with styling parts from Toyota Racing Development and 18” alloy rims shod with 225/40 tyres.
Clifford said: “We used no special tricks for this test. We simply took a fully-charged car, fitted it with low rolling-resistance tyres, and drove the lap, among all the other public drivers taking the opportunity to experience the challenge of the Nürburgring.
“Although the 20km distance is similar to a typical commuter trip the difference here is a rise and fall in elevation of around 304m. In fact it was only on one long climb that the petrol engine cut in, and then only for a short while. Without that, we think we might have even achieved the ultimate 425km/litre read-out – the highest figure the display can show.”
The automaker turned tradition on its head when it took a Prius plug-in hybrid on to the Nordschliefe circuit to show not how fast the car could go but how little fuel it would use.
The test was conducted during a public session and so complied with all circuit rules, including the 60km/h minimum average speed.
NO SPECIAL TRICKS
Motoring journalist and Japanese-vehicle expert Joe Clifford achieved 296.7km/litre (0.4 litres/100km) on the 20.75km circuit while completing the lap in 20min59sec - an eternity in 'Ring time where sub-10 minutes is the target.
By comparison, the vehicle’s European-specification car’s official fuel consumption is 2.1 litres/100km so, according to Toyota, its hybrid used “less than five tablespoons of fuel to do the job”.
VIDEO: Watch a Prius hybrid get 296km/litre at the ‘Ring
The Pruis Plug-in has a 1.8-litre petrol engine and a compact rechargeable lithium-ion battery to drive an electric motor solo or in support of the petrol engine. Clifford’s Pruis was fitted with styling parts from Toyota Racing Development and 18” alloy rims shod with 225/40 tyres.
Clifford said: “We used no special tricks for this test. We simply took a fully-charged car, fitted it with low rolling-resistance tyres, and drove the lap, among all the other public drivers taking the opportunity to experience the challenge of the Nürburgring.
“Although the 20km distance is similar to a typical commuter trip the difference here is a rise and fall in elevation of around 304m. In fact it was only on one long climb that the petrol engine cut in, and then only for a short while. Without that, we think we might have even achieved the ultimate 425km/litre read-out – the highest figure the display can show.”
