Mercedes-AMG just did something that would be more suitable for a Fast & Furious movie than a car magazine. The Concept AMG GT XX, an electric prototype, broke 25 endurance records at Italy’s Nardò test track, reaching 24,901 miles in 7.5 days. That’s like circling the Earth in a week with time to spare for a coffee break.
Two GT XX prototypes hit the 7.87-mile Nardò circuit, racking up 3,177 laps without missing a beat. The goal was crazy: prove an electric car sustain high speeds for an extended period of time, something skeptics have doubted for years. They crushed the challenge, setting records for 2,000 to 40,075 kilometers, all while averaging 137 mph, including charging stops.
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Powering this feat were three axial-flux motors, over 1,341 horsepower. These motors, compact and brutal, are like jet engines in a car. Paired with them was a battery system straight out of Formula 1 – directly cooled to stay cool under pressure. Track temperatures hit 95°F, but the GT XX stayed cool, lap after lap, day after day.
Charging was the secret sauce, as the GT XX could use 249 miles of range in just 5 minutes, thanks to 850 kW charging technology that’s not available in production cars. This meant less time plugged in and more time on the track. Mercedes did more than just set a distance record; they redefined the term “fast pit stop” for electric cars. It’s the kind of tech that makes you wonder when you’ll see it at a charging station near you.
Distance records were only part of the story. The GT XX also set time-based records: 1,709 miles in 12 hours, 3,405 miles in a day, 23,160 miles in a week. Mercedes was inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, but they completed it in just over seven. In 7 days, 13 hours, and 24 minutes, the GT XX circled the Earth’s equator, traveling 40,075 kilometers.
