Porsche Panamera (2024): Nurburgring record beaten again
New model beats the time set by its predecessor for luxury-class vehicles ...
Porsche presented the third generation of the Panamera sports family car to the public at the end of last year, and to whet the appetite for the new model shortly before its market launch, the Zuffenhausen-based company has once again unleashed the luxury hauler on the Nürburgring.
As was to be expected, the new top-of-the-range Panamera model once again set an exclamation mark on the 20.832 km of the Nordschleife. The old versions already set class records in 2016 and 2020 - most recently the Panamera Turbo S with a time of 7:29.81 minutes.
Gallery: New Panamera achieves record time on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife
Now Porsche test driver Lars Kern has driven the upcoming top model around the loop as a pre-production vehicle, which is a Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid with the "extensively revised" 4.0-litre biturbo V8 and a system output of 680 PS and 930 Nm.
"On the Nordschleife, a car's lateral dynamic capabilities are particularly important," comments Kern. "In this respect, the new Panamera has made further significant gains. It is noticeably more agile, especially in technically demanding corner combinations such as those between the Hohe Acht and Brünnchen sections."
The new model was 5.64 seconds faster than the comparable model of the previous generation. The record for luxury-class vehicles with combustion engines and hybrids is now a slim 7:24.17 minutes.
The performance once again emphasises Porsche's ambition to really deliver a new generation here and not just a souped-up facelift. Chassis, drive, aerodynamics, tyres - everything has been reworked, which Kern also emphasises once again:
"The new Porsche Active Ride suspension makes a particularly big contribution. The vehicle always remains parallel to the road. Cornering stability and body composure reach a new level. This gives me a good feeling as a driver and emphasises once again that our development not only offers maximum driving comfort in everyday driving, but also makes a real difference on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife."
More from the Nordschleife:
To protect the driver, not only was a racing seat installed in the record Panamera, but also a mandatory safety cage. Otherwise, according to Porsche, the pre-production model corresponds to the production model.
As a result of the conversions, the Porsche Panamera has only added a few kilos to its weight as it lugged around the Nordschleife. Theoretically, the production car should be able to gain a few hundredths or tenths more. However, imitation is not advisable!
Source: Porsche
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