--- title: "Porsche Just Stole Back the Nurburgring EV Record With a Third of the Power: TDS" description: "Good morning and welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or *TDS* for short." date: "2026-05-07" modified: "2026-05-07" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/porsche-just-stole-back-the-nurburgring-ev-record-with-a-third-of-the-power-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "luxury" - "porsche" - "sedan" - "Supercar" - "Taycan" --- # Porsche Just Stole Back the Nurburgring EV Record With a Third of the Power: TDS ![Porsche Taycan Turbo GT at Nurburgring]() *\Porsche\* Good morning and welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or *TDS* for short. Every morning, *TDS* brings you all the biggest automotive headlines to kick off your day. Each item contains a link to the story in question so you can dive deeper. Let's see what's cooking on this fine Thursday, shall we? ⏱️ There's a new Nürburgring Nordschleife record for production EVs, and it belongs to Porsche, which just logged a 6:55.553 lap with a Taycan Turbo GT equipped with both the Weissach Pack and Manthey Kit. That's almost four seconds faster than the 3,000-horsepower Yangwang U9 Xtreme. Porsche development driver Lars Kern was at the helm for the effort. \[*[Porsche]()*\] 🚙 Lexus now has a big, three-row electric SUV of its own, built off the same platform that underpins the new, electric only Toyota Highlander. It's called the TZ, and it promises 300 miles of range and standard, dual-motor all-wheel drive. On the Highlander, that translates to 338 horsepower. Expect pricing and other information later this year, before the TX hits dealers in late 2026. \[*[Lexus]()*\] ⛳ Porsche's wasn't the only recent triumph at the Green Hell for the Volkswagen Group, as the Golf GTI Edition 50 just became the fastest front-wheel-drive production car at the Nürburgring, with a time of 7:44.523. \[*[Volkswagen]()*\] 🆙 And while we're on the subject of Volkswagen, guess who just outspent Amazon to become Rivian's biggest investor? VW's stake in the electric truck and SUV maker now sits at 15.9% after a recent increase. \[*[TechCrunch]()*\] 🛻 In other recent Rivian news, the company is entertaining pickup and high-performance variants of its new R2 model. \[*[Reuters]()*\] 📉 Polestar lost $383 million in the first quarter of the year, up from $166 million over the same period in 2025, despite better sales. \[*[Reuters]()*\] *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()