New Panamera achieves record time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
23-07-2024 19:56 - EVENTS
Shortly before its market launch, the new Panamera top model is making a statement on the Nürburgring Nordschleife: with Porsche test driver Lars Kern at the wheel, a pre-production model of the sporty touring sedan completed the traditional circuit 5.64 seconds faster than the comparable model of the previous generation.
Last Friday, Porsche test driver Lars Kern set a new best time for luxury vehicles with combustion engines and hybrids in the future top model of the Panamera series with a time of 7:24.17 minutes. Lars Kern had already set class records on the Nordschleife with the Panamera in 2016 and 2020, most recently in the Panamera Turbo S (7:29.81 minutes). "On the Nordschleife, the lateral dynamic capabilities of a car are particularly important," comments Kern. "The new Panamera has made significant improvements in this regard. It is noticeably more agile, especially in technically demanding curve combinations such as those between the Hohe Acht and Brünnchen sections of the track."
The lap time of the new Panamera, which has been improved by more than five seconds, underlines the consistent further development of the four-door sports car. Its electrically assisted eight-cylinder combustion engine enables impressive performance, but is not the only reason for the improved performance. "Drivetrain, aerodynamics, chassis, the new Ultra High Performance tires from Michelin - many aspects contribute to this top time," adds Kern. The new Porsche Active Ride chassis makes a particularly large contribution. The vehicle always remains parallel to the road. Cornering stability and body quietness reach a new level. That gives me a good feeling as a driver and underlines once again that our development not only offers maximum driving comfort in everyday life, but also makes a real difference on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. No other Porsche offers this range between comfort and sportiness. The new Panamera combines the positive characteristics of an exclusive touring sedan with the handling of a sports car." The Panamera driven by Lars Kern was equipped with a racing seat and the mandatory safety cage to protect the driver, but otherwise corresponded to the series standard. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 in size 275/35 ZR 21 at the front and 325/30 ZR 21 at the rear was specially developed for the Panamera. For optimized performance, the optional Aerokit Carbon eliminates the lift forces on the front axle. In conjunction with the Gurney Flap on the adaptive 4-way rear spoiler, this ultimately generates downforce. This benefits the aerodynamic balance.
The lap time of the new Panamera, which has been improved by more than five seconds, underlines the consistent further development of the four-door sports car. Its electrically assisted eight-cylinder combustion engine enables impressive performance, but is not the only reason for the improved performance. "Drivetrain, aerodynamics, chassis, the new Ultra High Performance tires from Michelin - many aspects contribute to this top time," adds Kern. The new Porsche Active Ride chassis makes a particularly large contribution. The vehicle always remains parallel to the road. Cornering stability and body quietness reach a new level. That gives me a good feeling as a driver and underlines once again that our development not only offers maximum driving comfort in everyday life, but also makes a real difference on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. No other Porsche offers this range between comfort and sportiness. The new Panamera combines the positive characteristics of an exclusive touring sedan with the handling of a sports car." The Panamera driven by Lars Kern was equipped with a racing seat and the mandatory safety cage to protect the driver, but otherwise corresponded to the series standard. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 in size 275/35 ZR 21 at the front and 325/30 ZR 21 at the rear was specially developed for the Panamera. For optimized performance, the optional Aerokit Carbon eliminates the lift forces on the front axle. In conjunction with the Gurney Flap on the adaptive 4-way rear spoiler, this ultimately generates downforce. This benefits the aerodynamic balance.