A record-beating lap of the Nürburgring is all set for the end of August by Toyota Motorsport. It's aiming to beat the current 9-minute 1.338 seconds record for an electric car and is using a race-bred vehicle for the challenge.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has developed a Le Mans-style car for the attempt capable of 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. It uses a high performance electric motor designed by TMG, which gives the car a top speed of 163mph.

Toyota says that unofficial testing has already seen the TMG car beat the existing record, but it won't be until the officially timed run at the end of August that these claims will be proven.

Rob Leupen, TMG's Director of Business Operations, said: "We are extremely confident we can break the record by some distance, which is an indication of how EV performance is continuously improving. TMG is a leader in high-performance powertrains and we want to show the world how far this technology has developed."

Alisdair Suttie - 9 Aug 2011