In June, the 2012 Audi R8 E-tron became the fastest electric car around Nürburgring->ke999 with a lap time of 8:09.099 minutes. The problem with the R8 E-tron, however, is that it will never be offered to customers.

This June, Mercedes->ke187 decided to show what its SLS AMG Electric Drive can do and brought it to the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife test track. The results put the SLS AMG Electric Drive directly into the Guineas Book of World Records.

The electric SLS->ke2504 lapped the Nordschleife in just 7:56.234 minutes, becoming the fastest electric car in the world around the `Ring, but also the first electrically powered production vehicle to have mastered the legendary racetrack in under eight minutes.

This record comes just 2 weeks after the first overall win for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race.

"For the first time, an electrically-powered series production vehicle has lapped the Nürburgring Nordscheife in under eight minutes. The record for the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive in 7:56.234 minutes on the Nordschleife shows the special position of our innovative and unique drive solution," said Tobias Moers.

Click past the jump to read more about the Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive.

Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive

The SLS AMG Electric Drive is powered by four electric motors with a total output of 751 horsepower and maximum torque of 737 pound-feet. It can sprint from 0 to 100km/h (62 mph) in a mere 3.9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 155mph (electronically limited).

As for recharging, Mercedes-Benz gives you two charging options. You can opt for the standard charging system, which plugs into a household plug and takes 20 hours to get a full charge. For an additional cost, Mercedes-Benz will give you its wall charger, which charges the battery in just 3 hours.