{"id":68885,"date":"2025-08-28T10:18:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/inside-the-record-shattering-electric-saloon-that-drove-around-the-world-in-eight-days\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T10:18:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:18:07","slug":"inside-the-record-shattering-electric-saloon-that-drove-around-the-world-in-eight-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/inside-the-record-shattering-electric-saloon-that-drove-around-the-world-in-eight-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Record-Shattering Electric Saloon That Drove Around the World in Eight Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Did Mercedes-AMG Shatter the Electric Car Endurance Record?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re even a little bit interested in electric cars, the story of the Mercedes-AMG GT XX is one for the ages. Imagine this: a sleek, sunset-orange hyper-saloon lapping a high-speed Italian test track for over a week, racking up more than 25,000 miles\u2014enough to circle the globe at the equator. And it did all this in just under eight days. That\u2019s not just a record; it\u2019s a statement.<\/p>\n

But how did Mercedes-AMG pull it off? It wasn\u2019t a publicity stunt or a one-off headline grab. This was a meticulously planned, almost obsessive campaign to push the boundaries of what electric vehicles can do. The GT XX didn\u2019t just break one record\u2014it set 26 new world records, including the most high-profile: 3,404 miles covered in 24 hours. For context, that\u2019s 38% further than the previous record-holder, the Xpeng P7, managed earlier that same month.<\/p>\n

What Set the GT XX Apart from Other Electric Cars?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get into the nuts and bolts. The GT XX is no ordinary EV. It\u2019s built on Mercedes-AMG\u2019s brand-new AMG.EA electric architecture\u2014a platform designed from scratch for high-performance electric cars. Under the hood (well, under the floor and in the axles), you\u2019ll find a triple-motor setup: two axial flux motors at the rear and a smaller booster motor up front. Together, they deliver a staggering 1,341 horsepower.<\/p>\n

But raw power wasn\u2019t the only secret sauce. The car\u2019s aerodynamic design is just as impressive, boasting a drag coefficient of 0.19. That\u2019s slipperier than most supercars. And the battery? It\u2019s an oil-immersed, cylindrical-cell pack with direct liquid cooling, capable of charging at up to 900kW. To put that in perspective, you can add 249 miles of range in less than five minutes\u2014faster than most people can grab a coffee.<\/p>\n

How Did the Team Overcome Real-World Challenges?<\/p>\n

Records like this aren\u2019t set in a vacuum. The Nard\u00f2 Technical Centre in Italy, where the run took place, threw plenty of curveballs: daytime temperatures soaring past 35\u00b0C, nights dropping to 20\u00b0C, torrential rain, and even a brief power cut. No simulation could have prepared the team for all that.<\/p>\n

Mercedes-AMG\u2019s answer? Redundancy and teamwork. They ran two GT XX cars in tandem, each with its own dedicated crew. The teams\u2014nicknamed Team Blue and Team Green\u2014pushed each other to the limit, but also had to be reined in to avoid overcooking the cars. The operation was massive: 17 drivers (including F1 star George Russell) rotated in eight-hour shifts, backed by over 130 engineers and logistics staff on-site, plus remote support from command centers in Germany. The infrastructure was just as impressive, with over 1.5 miles of charging cable and a pit crew ready to swap tires and wash windscreens at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

What Was It Like Inside the Record-Breaking GT XX?<\/p>\n

You might expect a car that\u2019s just circled the globe in a week to look battered and tired. Not so. Aside from a layer of road grime, the GT XX looked almost untouched. Inside, the cabin was clean and unspoiled, the seat firm, the six-point harness still stiff from days of use. The sense of purpose was palpable.<\/p>\n

On the track, the experience was surreal. The car accelerated with supercar intensity, yet in near-total silence. Even at speeds up to 155mph (and an average of 186mph during the record run), there was no drivetrain noise\u2014just the hum of the tires and the wind. The car\u2019s stability and composure were uncanny, thanks to its advanced aerodynamics and active cooling systems. The rear spoiler stayed tucked away for minimal drag, and the wheels\u2019 airflow panels only opened during charging stops to dissipate heat.<\/p>\n

How Did Mercedes-AMG Optimize Every Second on Track?<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t just about brute force or raw speed. Mercedes-AMG brought the kind of data-driven precision you\u2019d expect from a Formula 1 team. Every stint was simulated, analyzed, and tweaked in the months leading up to the attempt. The car\u2019s predictive performance system, intelligent thermal management, and cloud-optimized charging logic all played a role.<\/p>\n

Charging stops were a masterclass in efficiency. With the car able to accept up to 965kW\u2014nearly six times the charging rate of the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53\u2014pit stops lasted just two to four minutes. Regenerative braking was so effective it could recuperate up to 600kW of energy, helping stretch every mile.<\/p>\n

What Does This Mean for the Future of Electric Cars?<\/p>\n

The GT XX\u2019s achievement isn\u2019t just about setting records. It\u2019s about rewriting the rulebook for what\u2019s possible with electric vehicles. Mercedes-AMG didn\u2019t just build a fast EV\u2014they built a predictive, adaptable, and resilient machine that can handle real-world challenges and come out on top.<\/p>\n

This record run also hints at what\u2019s coming down the pipeline. The production version of the GT XX\u2019s platform is set to arrive soon, promising to bring much of this technology to the road. Features like ultra-fast charging, advanced thermal management, and predictive performance systems could soon become the new normal for high-end electric cars.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways for Drivers and Enthusiasts<\/p>\n

So, what can we learn from the GT XX\u2019s globe-spanning feat? First, the limits of electric vehicle endurance are being pushed further than ever, thanks to a blend of cutting-edge engineering and relentless teamwork. Second, the future of EVs isn\u2019t just about range or speed\u2014it\u2019s about how smartly all the systems work together, from aerodynamics to software. And finally, this kind of innovation isn\u2019t just for the track. The lessons learned here will shape the electric cars we\u2019ll be driving in the years to come.<\/p>\n

If you ever doubted that electric cars could be thrilling, resilient, and genuinely groundbreaking, the Mercedes-AMG GT XX just proved otherwise. The outcome? Game-changing. And the story\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"25C0224<\/a><\/p>\n

Mercedes hyper-saloon concept went 25,000 miles in less than eight days \u2013 then we climbed aboard<\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s 11:36 on a Monday, 25 August 2025. Not just any Monday but the one after Mercedes-AMG<\/a> rewrote the electric car<\/a> record books with its new GT XX concept<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Under leaden skies, the air at Nard\u00f2 Technical Centre in Italy still hangs thick with the afterglow of automotive history in the making. Barely 12 hours have passed since the sunset-orange\u00a0super-saloon lapped the high-speed banking for the 3177th time to bring up a total distance of 24,901 miles \u2013 the official circumference of\u00a0the equator \u2013 in\u00a0seven\u00a0days, 13 hours, 24 minutes and seven seconds.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a record that Mercedes-AMG\u00a0CEO\u00a0Michael Schiebe\u00a0says was inspired by the Jules Verne novel\u00a0Around The World In 80 Days. \u201cExcept we decided to shorten it to eight,\u201d he tells me with a knowing grin, emotion still faintly creasing his voice.<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t a publicity exercise designed to generate short-term headlines. It was the most ambitious and, arguably, most meticulously planned electric car endurance record campaign ever attempted. In total, 26 world records were set.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t all plain sailing, though. Ambient temperatures soared past 35deg C during the day before plunging to 20deg C overnight, while periods of torrential rain and a brief power cut within Nard\u00f2\u2019s electricity infrastructure added a layer of unpredictability that no simulation could fully anticipate.<\/p>\n

The new 24-hour electric car distance record is\u00a0perhaps the most high-profile of all up to now:\u00a03404 miles. That’s\u00a0some 943 miles or 38%\u00a0farther than the Xpeng P7<\/a> managed earlier this month.<\/p>\n

To put this into perspective: the GT XX eclipsed the P7\u2019s short-lived 24-hour record of 2461 miles in just 17 hours and 18 minutes, then, with nearly seven hours still on the clock, it continued circulating Nard\u00f2, covering the additional 943 miles \u2013\u00a0roughly the distance between London and Barcelona \u2013 with only brief stops to top up its battery and, while doing so, fit new tyres when required.<\/p>\n

That alone would have been headline-worthy in itself, but Mercedes-AMG, looking to make a much bigger statement, pressed on in earnest.<\/p>\n

The records continued to tumble\u00a0for a further week, the GT XX establishing additional benchmarks for 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 hours.<\/p>\n

The Porsche Taycan<\/a> rival\u00a0also posted new records at 2000, 5000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 and 25,000 miles,\u00a0among others.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In a clear sign of the depth of its commitment and desire to eliminate any single point of failure, Mercedes-AMG didn\u2019t just employ one GT XX for the task;\u00a0it ran two in tandem, each with its own dedicated team of engineers, drivers and logistics support. Each was distinguished by coloured markings within the side sills.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a lot of our approach from motorsport,\u201d says Schiebe. \u201cWe had team blue and team green. The two pushed each other. It got so intense early on that we had to tell them to slow down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, less than half a day later, one of those GT XXs is rolling again, this time with me strapped into the passenger seat.<\/p>\n

Apart from a tell-tale film of grime covering its bodywork, the 5204mm-long saloon looks untouched from its debut<\/a> at Mercedes-AMG\u2019s Affalterbach headquarters in Germany back in June.<\/p>\n

Inside, the cabin is even more evocative. Everything is still as it was during the record attempt. The seat is firm. The six-point seat belts are stiff. The cabin is remarkably clean and unspoilt for something that has just travelled over 3000 miles for each of the past eight or so days with barely a breath between stint. It hasn\u2019t had a lot of time to cool down. Neither has the team.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So, this is Nard\u00f2, the 7.8-mile circular high-speed test track carved into the heel of Italy\u2019s boot. Once a Fiat<\/a> proving ground, today it\u2019s owned by Porsche<\/a>\u00a0but run as a global engineering centre open to paying customers. There are no corporate walls or rivalry here, just respect and reverence.<\/p>\n

Mercedes-Benz <\/a>has been here before, of course. In 2024, it set a new electric car 24-hour hour distance record with the new third-generation Mercedes CLA<\/a> saloon at 2310 miles. Back in 1976, the German car maker\u2019s C111 research prototype also set multiple endurance records here, establishing a legacy Schiebe says\u00a0served\u00a0as inspiration.<\/p>\n

The low and sleek styling of the GT XX, which boasts a remarkably low drag coefficient of 0.19, gives\u00a0clues to how its production sibling will look.<\/p>\n

But it is what lies beneath that makes this a technological milestone, not just a design study. It\u2019s based on Mercedes-AMG\u2019s all-new AMG.EA electric car architecture, the first bespoke electric platform from the company and entirely separate to those used in standard Mercedes-Benz models. The production car that the four-door concept previews, the next GT 4-Door Coup\u00e9<\/a>, is planned to arrive in the UK before the end of next year.<\/p>\n

That car will inherit the GT XX\u2019s drivetrain: a triple-motor layout with two axial flux motors (developed in partnership between Mercedes-AMG, Oxford-based Yasa and Mercedes-AMG\u2019s Brixworth High Performance Powertrain division) at the rear\u00a0and a smaller axial flux booster motor sitting up front. In total, they deliver a combined 1341bhp.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Power is delivered through a single-speed gearbox and supported by an oil-immersed cylindrical-cell battery pack, featuring direct liquid cooling and a theoretical charge rate between 850\u2013900kW. A 249-mile range, Mercedes-AMG says, can be added in less than five minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The man at the wheel today – Florian Fr\u00f6hlich, a veteran from Mercedes-Benz’s test and development ranks also heavily involved in the CLA\u2019s record breaking feats – gives a final nod and nudges the throttle. There\u2019s no fuss, no sound,\u00a0just clean, linear forward movement. Seamless. Smooth. The first half mile or so is silence and serenity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And then, once we clear the slip road and enter the wide expanse of the Nard\u00f2 track itself, it hits. Not just typical performance saloon car acceleration,\u00a0something stronger \u2013 much stronger. Supercar-like in intensity\u00a0but again eerily silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when I remember Schiebe telling me the records were set without the assistance of Mercedes-AMG\u2019s new sound generator. \u201cWe will offer it to customers, and it will be an integral part of the production car. But for the campaign at Nard\u00f2, our team decided to do without it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

As we leave the pit complex behind us, we are doing 50mph. Then 100mph. And very nearly 150mph before we\u2019ve even crossed the three lanes into the outer banked section. The GT XX settles well, squatting imperceptibly into the groove it has carved for itself over the past week.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Even at this lick, there\u2019s no drivetrain noise at all. Just the sound of the bespoke Michelin tyres on the track surface and a persistent buffeting wind around the outer edges of the windscreen. Today, we\u2019re restricted to 155mph but the swiftness and clarity in how it goes about its business leaves no doubt that it was engineered for vastly more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This very car held an average of 186mph for eight days straight, excluding charging. A team of 17 drivers, including Formula 1 star George Russell, rotated in eight-hour shifts, supported by over 130 engineers and logistics staff on-site at Nard\u00f2. Scores more monitored the car\u00a0and its identical twin from command centres in Affalterbach and Brixworth. A charging infrastructure with over 1.5 miles of cable was laid across the test facility to support it all. Seven radio channels and more than 8000 transmissions a day kept every detail coordinated. Some 46 tyre changes were made and 300 windscreens washed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And what a strategy. Mercedes-AMG didn\u2019t just build a fast electric saloon. It also built a predictive performance system derived from its experience in F1 racing, complete with intelligent thermal management and cloud-optimised charging logic. Later we\u2019re shown graphs, heat maps, telemetry overlays and charging profile showing how every second on track was planned and recorded. Each record-breaking stint was meticulously simulated, run, analysed and tweaked in the months leading up to the record attempt. Then rerun again. This wasn\u2019t the setting of endurance marks by brute horsepower. It was more\u00a0record-breaking by algorithm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the GT XX has a claimed top speed of 224mph, Schiebe says his engineering team never considered pushing beyond the 186mph average. \u201cIt\u2019s the sweet spot:\u00a0the point we calculated we could achieve the best possible trade-off between outright speed and aerodynamic drag.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Back in the car, it\u2019s difficult to reconcile the violence of the performance with the calmness of the experience. There\u2019s no twitchiness,\u00a0no nervousness,\u00a0only composed, sustained power and uncanny straight-line stability. The sheer effectiveness of the aerodynamics within the underbody, which is shaped to create a venturi effect, means the entire record attempt was run without the need to deploy the GT XX\u2019s rear spoiler. The cooling was another key factor.<\/p>\n

The research prototype\u2019s active wheels, which house five separate panels that can open to increase air flow, remained closed during on track running to ensure the lowest possible drag, opened only while charging to dissipate heat. The centre-lock wheels showcased with the car back in June were shelved in favour of more conventional five-bolt wheels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The view from the outer lane of the high speed bowl is spectacular – at one point the horizon dissolves into a shimmering blue Mediterranean haze of ocean. But the nearby guardrail is a constant reminder of your speed and what\u2019s at stake. The circular nature means there is no defined straights, with the steering wheel always held slightly off-centre to compensate. In the lead up to the record attempt, Mercedes-AMG settled on running in an clockwise direction. \u201cWe had the choice but with the prevailing winds and such, we considered it the best option,\u201d Schiebe reveals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After two unforgettable laps and nearly 15 miles, the radio cackles and we\u2019re called into the pit. Fr\u00f6hlich lifts. The GT XX coasts without any direct power for almost a mile, a procedure used for each and every charging stop during the record run, he tells me.<\/p>\n

As we get to the pit entry marker, there\u2019s an immediate and tangible tug as the regenerative braking system is triggered, scrubbing off speed with smooth, magnetic deceleration. It\u2019s as if the disc-shaped axial motors have turned into huge anchors, yanking the big saloon back from the brink. Mercedes-AMG says it can recuperate up to 600kW of kinetic energy in such conditions. And honestly, it feels like it.<\/p>\n

We roll to a halt under the bridge where Mercedes-<\/span>AMG has set up a makeshift technical bunker for the record run. Banks of computers hum inside a temporary command centre made up of white-painted shipping containers. The pit crew, as focused as at any F1 race, move quickly, lifting the charging flap hidden under the right-hand rear fender and attaching the DC charging plug.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Instantly, a readout blinks to life and the numbers begin to roll on the GT XX\u2019s display like a digital slot machine:\u00a0100, 200, 400, 800kW\u2026 and still rising. No hesitation, no let-up. By the time it nudges past 850kW, I glance over to the driver. He\u2019s grinning. \u201cThat\u2019s part of the secret,\u201d he says, watching the display tick on. \u201cWith such rapid charging, our stops during the record run were between two and four minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

And still\u00a0the numbers continue to climb:\u00a0920, 930, 940, 950kW and then, finally, the peak,\u00a0965kW. That\u2019s nearly six times the 170kW charging capacity of the existing Mercedes-AMG EQE 53<\/a> 4Matic+. And we\u2019re witnessing it live in the field using the same Alpitronic charger used throughout Mercedes-AMG\u2019s eight days of record-breaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One thing\u2019s clear. The Mercedes-AMG\u2019s record run with the GT XX wasn\u2019t just about lapping a test track quickly. It was about redefining the upper limits of what integrated electric car performance can be, both now and in the future: from drivetrain operating strategy, battery chemistry, aerodynamic control, thermal management to software analytics, energy recuperation, tyre optimisation and much more.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t just chase records; it created a rulebook for how to break them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68885\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}