Porsche Panamera Hybrid sets new record at the Nürburgring circuit

An unreleased version of the Porsche Panamera car has set a new record at the Nürburgring track. The officially undisclosed model equipped with a V8 hybrid powertrain showed a time of 7 minutes 24.172 seconds on the North Loop, making it the fastest among "executive class sedans."

The record-breaking car is a pre-production model. Almost unchanged, it will enter dealer showrooms. Only minor modifications were used to set the record, which should not affect the speed characteristics of the production version. It involved a sport bucket-shaped driver's seat for Lars Kern and a mandatory roll cage. Although Porsche has not disclosed any transmission specifications, the company stated that the car features the revolutionary Active Ride suspension, first introduced on the Panamera earlier this year.

The Porsche Panamera model that set the record at the Nürburgring is likely to be called Turbo S E-Hybrid. It used optional 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, specially designed for this platform. The car was also equipped with a new additional carbon fiber aerodynamic kit, including Gurney flaps for the adaptive rear spoiler. Porsche claims that this kit reduces front lift and creates downforce, although details are not specified. Some sources attribute the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid hybrid powertrain to over 700 hp. The company itself has not disclosed this information yet.

The time of 7:24 makes this hybrid Panamera more than 5 seconds faster than the previous-generation Panamera Turbo S. It is also over 3 seconds faster than the previous record holder, the four-door Mercedes-AMG GT63 S. The electric Porsche Taycan Turbo GT still holds the leadership crown. 

"Transmission, aerodynamics, chassis, new, optional ultra-high-performance tires from Michelin - many aspects contributed to this time," the company says. "The new Porsche Active Ride chassis made a particularly large contribution, as the car always connects well with the road. Its cornering and body control are at a completely new level."  

Source: motor1