Mercedes-AMG has shattered no fewer than 25 long-distance records during an extraordinary ultramarathon run at the Nardò high-speed test track in Italy. Piloting its striking orange Concept AMG GT XX, a prototype of the forthcoming electric-powered four-door super sedan, a team of 17 racing drivers, including Formula 1's George Russell and endurance racer Doriane Pin, pushed the boundaries of electric vehicle performance over almost eight days.

The most remarkable achievement was the Concept AMG GT XX covering the equivalent distance of the Earth's equator—40,075 kilometers (24,901 miles)—in a staggering 7 days, 13 hours, 24 minutes, and 7 seconds, averaging over 137 mph even with recharge stops. In a 24-hour period, one of the two record-setting vehicles covered 5,479 kilometers (3,404 miles), significantly surpassing the previous EV record of under 4,000 kilometers by 943 miles. Other milestones included reaching 5,000 miles in just over 35 hours, 10,000 miles in under three days, and 20,000 miles in six days and 23 minutes, maintaining a constant speed of 186 mph while on track.

The intensive run saw drivers completing two-hour stints, consistently accelerating to 186 mph before requiring a charge. The two Concept AMG GT XXs, featuring a 1,340 horsepower, tri-motor powertrain, lapped the 7.8-mile Nardò Ring with incredible consistency, with the second car finishing just 15.5 miles behind the lead record-breaker. Environmental conditions during the week-long marathon were challenging, with ambient temperatures reaching 35°C (95°F), track temperatures soaring to 160°F, and occasional overnight rain showers.

These extraordinary feats were primarily enabled by Mercedes-AMG's groundbreaking AMG.EA electric vehicle architecture and its advanced technologies. Central to this was the remarkably impressive charging capability, with an average rate of 850 kW and a peak of 950 kW achieved from a megawatt charger developed by Alpitronic. This allowed for approximately 250 miles of range to be recovered in just five minutes, highlighting a crucial factor for sustained high-performance electric motoring.

Further enhancing its endurance were the axial-flux motors, developed by British-based Mercedes-Benz subsidiary Yasa Ltd., and an in-house developed, directly cooled high-performance battery. This battery, created for the AMG.EA architecture with assistance from Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team engineers, features over 3,000 cells with a unique nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminium (NCMA) combination in the cathode and a silicon-content anode. The cells' tall and thin design, encased in lightweight laser-welded aluminium housings, facilitates superior electrical and heat conductivity, enabling more effective cooling by a surrounding electrically non-conductive oil.

Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz CTO, stated that the goal was to