The Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is a powerful car with 771 horsepower from its hybrid powertrain, making it the strongest Panamera available. Recently, Porsche took it for a spin around the Nurburgring, completing the Nordschleife loop in just 7 minutes and 24.17 seconds. A video of the full lap, shot from the driver’s perspective, was shared on YouTube for all to see.
Watching the video, it may not seem like the car is moving as fast as it actually is. The Porsche’s development driver, Lars Kern, looks calm and collected as he speeds around the track. Even during the fastest parts of the lap, there is very little drama. The car maintains its composure, hitting speeds of up to 173 mph without breaking a sweat.
The back half of the track is filled with fast turns, but the Panamera handles them with ease. Even on the main straight, Kern manages to get the sedan up to 190 mph, falling short of its top speed of 202 mph but still securing an impressive lap time of 7 minutes and 24 seconds. The entire lap is completed with surprising smoothness.
Kern’s skill behind the wheel is undeniable, but credit must also be given to the car’s new aerodynamics package and Active Ride chassis, which help manage pitch and roll. The car used for the lap was completely stock, including the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Porsche proudly claims the title of the fastest “top-class” sedan with a hybrid powertrain, even though it’s not the quickest car to lap the Nordschleife. That honor goes to the all-electric Taycan Turbo GT, which set a record earlier this year with a time of 7 minutes and 7.55 seconds.
Despite not holding the fastest sedan record, Porsche’s executives are likely pleased with the Panamera’s performance. They have a history of setting records at the Nurburgring, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more Panameras taking on the challenge in the future.