Imagine delivering 10 cases of Mapo Tofu to your local convenience store and then immediately heading out for some spirited mountain road driving with a crew of friends. This kind of duality， reminiscent of Takumi Fujiwara’s AE86， is perhaps what the Ford SuperVan embodies.
Recently， Ford took this van to the Nürburgring， achieving a remarkable lap time of 6 minutes and 48.393 seconds.
This time is notably faster than the Porsche 911 GT3， which， despite its rigorous Nürburgring training， clocked in at 6 minutes and 49.328 seconds. For context， even a production vehicle like the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra managed a lap time of 7 minutes and 04.957 seconds， making the SuperVan’s performance significantly more impressive.
So， what exactly is this SuperVan?
The name might evoke images of American muscle， but its racing prowess tells a different story.
At its core， the SuperVan is a high-performance concept based on Ford’s Transit van. The Transit is globally recognized as a workhorse， often compared to Wuling Hongguang in China for its ubiquity as a commercial vehicle.
However， mistaking the SuperVan for a typical delivery van would be a mistake. It utilizes a sports car chassis underneath the Transit body， giving it a race car’s heart within a van’s shell. This explains why other performance cars struggled to keep up.
While it bears the SuperVan name， it’s important to note that comparing it directly to production vehicles is somewhat unfair， as the SuperVan is a specialized concept with a racing pedigree.
The SuperVan has evolved through four generations， with the latest iteration， the 4.2 version， being the one that tackled the Nürburgring.
Its impressive performance， outperforming vehicles like the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and the Porsche 911， is largely attributed to its electric powertrain. The 4.2 model is a high-output electric vehicle， built on the E-Transit platform co-developed by Ford Performance and Austrian racing firm STARD. It features three STARD UHP 6-phase motors， providing front-wheel drive via one motor and rear-wheel drive via two， delivering a combined output of approximately 1400 horsepower. The regenerative braking system is equally potent， capable of reclaiming 600kW of power.
Beyond its Nürburgring feat， the SuperVan has also demonstrated its climbing prowess， securing a class victory at the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and the overall championship at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb.
Interestingly， the current 4.2 version is considered a “detuned” variant.
The earlier 4.0 version boasted four motors and a staggering 2000 horsepower， enabling it to achieve 0-100 km/h in under 2 seconds. While both versions have run at the Nürburgring， the 1400-horsepower 4.2 model， despite its reduced power， managed to shave 9 seconds off the previous lap time.
Regardless of whether it’s the 1400 or 2000 horsepower configuration， the SuperVan’s performance can be summarized as adaptable and responsive to challenges， with its power output seeming to scale with the competition.
While many electric vehicles can produce over 1400 horsepower， like the Zeekr 001 FR with its 1000hp， they likely wouldn’t achieve the SuperVan’s Nürburgring lap time. This is due to the extensive track-focused modifications made to the SuperVan. These include carbon-ceramic brake discs， forged magnesium wheels， and Pirelli P Zero track tires. The interior reflects a no-nonsense， race-ready aesthetic.
To optimize for performance， the SuperVan’s configuration has been heavily modified from its original Transit form. It now features a 2-door， 1-seat layout， a significant reduction from the Transit’s 5-door， 3-seat configuration. The rear seating area has been replaced with a roll cage， and even the co-driver’s seat has been removed， suggesting a focus on raw performance over practicality.
Furthermore， the reduction in motors from four to three， combined with other weight-saving measures， has resulted in a decrease of 400kg in the 4.2 version compared to the 4.0. The total weight currently stands around 2 tons， a significant improvement although further weight reduction might be challenging.
Despite its substantial weight， the SuperVan is equipped with a 50 kWh liquid-cooled battery. While this capacity might seem comparable to an extended-range battery， its full-power output offers a range of approximately 32km—just enough to complete a grueling Nürburgring lap.
Another significant advantage of the SuperVan is its advanced aerodynamics， with a design that surprisingly echoes the styling of some modern SUVs.
The vehicle features a prominent front splitter， a rear wing， a dorsal fin， and a diffuser， generating an astonishing 2 tons of downforce at 240 km/h， a figure nearly matching that of an F1 car. Combined with its own weight， this downforce allows for exceptional grip and stability through corners， essentially pinning it to the track.
However， Ford’s intention in creating such a high-performance commercial vehicle is likely not to cater to customers who need to deliver goods by day and race by night， as such a niche is unlikely to exist.
Initially， Ford’s goal was to leverage the SuperVan as a marketing tool for the Transit， generating buzz and enhancing its image， much like a concept car for a production model. However， the positive reception and enthusiasm for the SuperVan have exceeded expectations.
The first-generation SuperVan debuted in 1971 at the Brands Hatch Show. However， it was less a Transit and more a testament to the Ford GT40.
While it wore the distinctive boxy shell of the Transit， its chassis and a 4.7-liter V8 engine were derived from the GT40， producing up to 435 horsepower. This approach， while effective for marketing， could be perceived as a bit of a cheat， akin to using a high-performance chassis from one marque but cloaking it in the body of another to claim superiority – a strategy that might face backlash in some markets.
Nevertheless， it captured the attention of motorsport enthusiasts in Europe and North America. Capitalizing on this success， Ford introduced the SuperVan 2 in 1984.
The SuperVan 2 featured a chassis from the Ford C100 Group C sports car and a Cosworth DFL V-8 engine， a race-spec version of the F1 engine， boosting output to 582 horsepower. This upgrade was necessary as the GT40 had become outdated in the racing world， and the SuperVan needed to maintain its relevance and marketing appeal.
To further enhance its track performance， the SuperVan 2 adopted a fiberglass construction， replacing the steel frame， and its bodywork was redesigned for better aerodynamics. Unfortunately， its short lifespan of just 15 months was due to updates in the Transit’s styling， leading to its retirement to a museum. It wasn’t until 1994 that Ford reintroduced the SuperVan with its third generation.
By this generation， the SuperVan’s role had shifted. With the Transit’s sales no longer requiring direct marketing support， Ford likely focused more on brand-building and premium positioning. This iteration also used the C100 chassis but was powered by a Cosworth HB V8 F1 engine， producing 650 horsepower. Due to high maintenance costs， it was later updated in 2004 with a turbocharged Cosworth Pro Sport 3000 V6 engine.
The most recent and notable iteration is the SuperVan 4， launched in 2022， which is what we’ve been discussing.
Its most significant evolution is its complete electrification， aligning with the electric variant of the Transit (E-Transit).
While electric vehicles are often characterized by raw power， achieving optimal track performance involves a careful balance of factors such as weight and battery management. The SuperVan’s evolution from the 4.0 to the 4.2 version， with its “detuned” yet faster configuration， highlights this crucial interplay.
Future iterations of the SuperVan may not necessarily focus on increasing horsepower but rather on refining various technical aspects. These advancements are also likely to find their way into other Ford performance models， such as the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck， which is now continuing the SuperVan’s legacy of pushing boundaries.
It’s evident that Ford has a penchant for developing unconventional and extreme projects based on their commercial vehicles.
If these vehicles were accessible for public experience， it would undoubtedly be an exciting prospect.
