Porsche's New Cayenne Turbo Variant Just Broke the Nürburgring Lap Record for SUVs
Porsche revealed Wednesday the newest variant of its Cayenne SUV has broken the lap record for SUVs at the Nürburgring. The trim level, which has yet to be fully revealed by the company, was able to lay down a lap time of 7:38.925 at the hands of factory driver Lars Kern.
The 7:38 lap, set on June 14, is four seconds quicker than the previous record set by the Audi RS Q8 in November 2019. The time rivals cars such as the current BMW M5 and Porsche Panamera Turbo, which have also set 7:38 laps in the past.
"Over the first few meters of the Nordschleife in this Cayenne, you're tempted to turn around to make sure that you're really sitting in a spacious SUV," Kern said in a statement. "Its high steering precision and stoically stable rear axle gave me a lot of confidence in the Hatzenbach section. It changed direction at lightning speed in the fast curves such as between Hohe Acht and Eiskurve, with no wobble and no tendency to understeer."
Porsche has yet to give a name to this new Cayenne variant, but says it's based on the Turbo trim level and makes north of 600 horsepower. The company also promises a 0-60 time "rivaling" that of the new 911 GT3. The SUV sits on 22-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Corsas designed specifically for this model. It's safe to assume the car will be powered by a version of the Turbo's twin-turbo V-8, but it's unclear whether it'll use hybrid assistance like its sibling, the Turbo S E-Hybrid.
"This Cayenne model is a top performer. During its development, we focused on exceptional on-road performance," Stefan Weckbach, vice president of the Cayenne model line, said in a statement. "Our record-breaking Cayenne is based on the Cayenne Turbo Coupé, though more systematically designed for maximum longitudinal and lateral dynamics. Its record time on the Nordschleife confirms the dynamic capabilities of our new performance SUV. Furthermore, it's a typical Cayenne all-rounder, providing a high degree of driving comfort and everyday utility.”
Porsche hasn't yet said when it'll reveal this new Cayenne variant in full, but considering it's already out breaking records, we probably won't have to wait too long for things like exact specifications, pricing, and a name.
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