Porsche confirms Panamera’s latest Nürburgring lap record

Remember when we reported on a mysterious Porsche Panamera hitting the North Loop and allegedly becoming the absolute winner in the four-door vehicle category? Well, Porsche has come out to comment on these rumors – and it turns out that, while a record has been set, it is not quite what we expected it to be.

The truth of the matter is, the test car set an absolute high score… among Panameras. Piloted by Lars Kern on July 24, it lapped up the ‘Ring in 7 minutes 29.81 seconds. Mods included a bucket seat for the driver, a safety cage and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. All three items will soon be added to the car configurator and become available for purchase.

Four years ago, a 550hp (410kW) Panamera Turbo piloted by the same driver made a lap in 7 minutes 38.46 seconds, or about nine seconds slower than the newest result. It has to be pointed out that the Nürburgring track has been extended with a new 200-meter (656-foot) long section and now measures 20.8 km (12.92 miles) long.

Rumors that a top-end Panamera was in development received no corroboration. Some say we should be looking forward to a spec called “Lion”, which will come powered by the 750hp / 559kW Turbo engine. Others claim the Lion will share the powertrain with the Turbo S E-Hybrid while receiving a boost to 830 hp (620 kW).