Upcoming Porsche Cayenne coupe breaks the Nurburgring lap record

KUALA LUMPUR: A hotter version of the Porsche Cayenne coupe is in the works and the German automaker convincingly proved its dynamic potential ahead of its launch. The more hardcore Cayenne has set the all-time production-SUV lap time record around the iconic Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany. This means it has smashed the previous record set by the Audi RS Q8 in the category.

Piloted by Lars Kern, the lightly camouflaged series production car lapped the 20.832 km circuit in just 7:38.925 minutes as against the 7:42.253 minutes recorded by the Audi RS Q8. Considering the fact that the Cayenne Coupe new trim is not on sale yet, some of the skeptics raised concerns. But it seems that the notary public has dispelled their doubts and entered this lap record in the Nürburgring GmbH official rankings.

Kern recorded the lap at 11:31 on June 14, 2021, with an outside temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of 46 degrees Celsius. Based on the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, the record-breaking Cayenne was equipped with a racing seat and a roll cage for the protection of the driver. It was also fitted with 22-inch Pirelli P Zero Corsas specially developed for the model, which will be on offer as standard.

“This Cayenne model is a top performer. During its development, we focused on exceptional on-road performance,” said Stefan Weckbach, Vice President Product Line Cayenne. “Our record-breaking Cayenne is based on the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, though more systematically designed for maximum longitudinal and lateral dynamics.” 

The automaker has not revealed its mechanical configuration but we expect to see a beefier version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 available under the hood of the Cayenne Coupe Turbo. In the current state of tune, the mill churns out a maximum power of 550 PS and a peak torque of 770 Nm. 

However, we do know that the SUV will be fitted with a new titanium exhaust system, an enhanced chassis, a reworked front axle, 12.7 mm wider front rims, increased camber, and a Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control active roll stabilisation system.

A full debut of this record-setting Cayenne coupe is likely to happen soon.

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