The new Porsche Panamera is five seconds faster than the old one around the ‘Ring

Another day, another achievement for Porsche. This time it’s a new lap record for 'luxury class cars' at the Nürburgring, with a pre-series version of its third-generation Panamera completing the run in just 7m 24.17s. That’s over a second faster than a Tesla Model S Plaid Track Pack and over five seconds quicker than the previous-gen Panamera. Yikes.

Aside from a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s and a mandatory racing seat and roll cage, no other significant changes were made from the original production spec. The Panamera did have the optional carbon aero kit thrown on though, providing even more downforce to push the car onto those super sticky tyres.

“On the Nordschleife, the transverse dynamic capabilities of a car are particularly important,” says Porsche driver and record-setter Lars Kern. “The new Panamera has made significant gains in this area. In technically demanding corner sequences in particular, such as between the ‘Hohe Acht’ and ‘Brünnchen’ sections of the track section, it responds with noticeably greater agility.”

Porsche hasn’t specified exactly which trim level Panamera this was, but we’re going to assume it was the range-topping ‘Turbo E-Hybrid’, which combines a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 25.9kWh battery and electronic motor - the latter being attached directly to the eight-speed PDK transmission. Result? That’ll be 671bhp and 686lb ft of torque. 

“The powertrain, the aerodynamics, the chassis, the new, optional ultra-high-performance tyres from Michelin – many aspects have contributed to this time,” continues Kern. “The new Porsche Active Ride chassis has made a particularly big contribution as the car stays well-connected to the road at all times. 

“Its cornering and body control are on a whole new level. As a driver, this gives me a good feeling and further underlines that our development doesn’t just offer maximum day-to-day driving comfort, but also makes a real difference on the Nordschleife.”

Some way off its sibling, mind: the Taycan Turbo GT managed 7m 07.55s earlier this year...