Mercedes-AMG GT XX Breaks 25 EV Records In Endurance Marathon

Mercedes-AMG GT XX covered the equivalent of a lap around the Earth in under eight days, with speeds topping 180 mph and pit stops lasting only minutes.
 

A Week on the Track
The Mercedes-AMG GT XX, a concept sedan previewing the brand’s upcoming AMG.EA electric platform, has achieved a feat no EV has managed before. Over the course of 7 days, 13 hours, and 24 minutes, two prototypes ran continuously at Italy’s Nardò test track, covering 24,901 miles (40,075 km), the circumference of the Earth at the equator.
 
Powertrain and Technology
At the heart of the record runs was a system of three axial-flux electric motors producing over 1,360 horsepower (1,000 kW). These were paired with a Formula 1-inspired, directly cooled battery, designed to withstand high loads without overheating. Charging was equally impressive: the GT XX could replenish 249 miles (400 km) of range in five minutes thanks to 850–900 kW charging capability, a figure far beyond what current road cars can manage.
 

Record-Breaking Distances
The endurance effort wasn’t limited to one headline figure. The GT XX set records across multiple time frames:
– 12 hours: 1,709 miles (2,750 km)
– 24 hours: 3,405 miles (5,479 km) — nearly 1,000 miles farther than the previous EV record
– 72 hours: 10,100 miles (16,250 km)
– 168 hours (7 days): 23,160 miles (37,260 km)
By the end of the attempt, the AMG team had logged 3,177 laps of Nardò’s 7.87-mile (12.68 km) circuit, averaging 136.6 mph including stops.
 
Pit Stops and Strategy
Despite the car’s blistering pace, charging stops were unavoidable. Across the full 25,000 miles, the GT XX spent a total of 48.6 hours off-track, or about 22 minutes per driving hour. At full charge rates, this equated to an estimated 41,324 kWh of energy consumed, averaging 0.6 miles per kWh.
 
Team and Drivers
The project drew on Mercedes-AMG’s motorsport expertise, including mechanics and drivers from its GT3 racing program. Seventeen drivers rotated in shifts, with Formula 1 driver George Russell among them. Russell reported speeds close to 186 mph (300 km/h) on his stints, noting that some pit stops lasted barely a minute.
 

How It Stacks Up
The AMG GT XX’s records highlight just how far endurance EVs have come in a short time. The previous 24-hour distance record was held by the Xpeng P7, which managed around 2,500 miles, a figure now overshadowed by the GT XX’s 3,405 miles in the same span. Even Mercedes’s own CLA EV prototype, once a benchmark, fell nearly a third short of the new figures. By covering nearly 1,000 extra miles in 24 hours, the GT XX raised the bar to a level that will be difficult for rivals to match, at least until ultra-high-rate charging becomes more widespread.
 
Design and Heritage
While mechanically futuristic, the GT XX carried visual cues from Mercedes’s past. Its livery echoed the experimental C-111 prototypes of the 1970s, cars that also served as record breakers but never reached production. This time, AMG suggests the lessons from the GT XX will flow directly into upcoming production EVs, including a performance sedan and crossover.
 
What It Means
The GT XX’s performance suggests Mercedes-AMG is preparing to deliver electric vehicles capable not only of explosive acceleration but also sustained high-speed endurance. While charging technology this advanced won’t be available to customers yet, the demonstration shows what’s possible when racing-derived engineering is applied to EV platforms.