Nurburgring Records: The Green Hell Chapter

The Nürburgring Nordschleife — "The Green Hell" — is one of the most feared and celebrated racing circuits in the world. For Japanese performance car manufacturers, the Nordschleife has served as both a development testbed and a marketing platform. Japanese car records at the Nordschleife are historically significant events that define generations of performance cars.

The R33 GT-R: First Under 8 Minutes (1995)

Nissan took a prototype R33 GT-R V-Spec to the Nordschleife in 1995 with Japanese racing driver Motoharu Kurosawa behind the wheel. The car lapped the 20.8 km Nordschleife in 7 minutes 59.887 seconds — the first production car ever to break 8 minutes on the Nordschleife.

The R33 used a mostly stock spec:

• Stock RB26DETT engine
• Stock ATTESA E-TS AWD system
• Factory Bridgestone RE01 tires
• Minor aero additions for stability

Kurosawa's time was verified by independent observers and widely reported in German and Japanese motoring press. It was the first time a Japanese production car had beaten European exotics at the Nordschleife's own game.

The Nismo 400R (1996)

Nismo's 400R (based on the R33 GT-R) posted an even faster Nordschleife time — 7:52 — in 1996, with driver Kazuyoshi Hoshino. The 400R's 2.8L stroker RB26 with 400+ hp made it significantly faster than the standard R33. Only 44 Nismo 400Rs were built.

Nismo Z-Tune (R34, 2005)

After R34 GT-R production ended in 2002, Nismo built the Z-Tune — a 500 hp catalog (600+ actual) evolution of the R34 GT-R. In 2005, Nismo took a Z-Tune to the Nordschleife and set a time of approximately 7:36 — one of the fastest times ever for a rear-wheel-drive (well, AWD-biased) Japanese car at that point.

R35 GT-R: Mizuno's Nordschleife Dominance (2007-2015)

Kazutoshi Mizuno, the R35 GT-R chief engineer, was obsessed with the Nordschleife. He took the R35 there multiple times with test drivers including Toshio Suzuki. Progression:

• 2007: 7:38 (launch spec R35)
• 2009: 7:29 (updated R35)
• 2013: 7:19.1 (R35 Nismo)
• 2019 update: The GT-R Nismo continues to post sub-7:20 times

The R35's Nordschleife record-setting became a marketing obsession. Mizuno personally supervised the lap times, ensuring they were legitimate. The R35 is currently the only production car under $200,000 that has ever gone under 7:20 on the Nordschleife.

Honda NSX Nordschleife Times

Honda's NSX (NA1) had a respected Nordschleife heritage. In 1990, Ayrton Senna famously provided chassis feedback after driving the prototype. Later production NSX R variants set competitive times for the era.

The second-generation NSX (NC1) set a 7:37 Nordschleife time in 2016 — competitive with contemporary Porsche 911 Turbo times.

Other Japanese Nordschleife Heroes

Beyond the GT-Rs and NSX, other Japanese cars have set significant Nordschleife records:

• Lexus LFA: 7:14.64 — a remarkable time for a naturally aspirated supercar
• Toyota GR Supra (current): 7:49
• Honda Civic Type R FK8: 7:43.8 — fastest front-wheel-drive production car ever
• Honda Civic Type R FL5: 7:35 — broke the FK8's record in 2023

Legacy

The Nordschleife has been the ultimate test for Japanese performance cars. Every major manufacturer has had a Nordschleife program — Nissan GT-R, Honda NSX, Toyota GR Yaris, and the Type R series. The circuit's 20.8 km length, 160+ corners, and elevation changes make it the most comprehensive test of a car's engineering.

For Japanese enthusiasts, breaking a Nordschleife record is the ultimate validation. When the R33 GT-R broke 8 minutes in 1995, it proved that Japanese engineering could compete on German soil. When the R35 GT-R went under 7:20 in 2013, it proved that Japan could build a supercar that embarrassed Ferraris and Porsches costing three times as much. The Nordschleife record book is Japan's quiet revenge on European performance car heritage.