The premiere of the new generation of the Porsche Panamera is approaching, and the current prototype is being tested on the world’s most famous track, the Nurburgring Nordschleife, on which it set the fastest lap time in the category of cars from the E-segment.

Porsche is still keeping the technical details of this car under wraps, but what we do know so far is that it is equipped with the Active Ride suspension, which was first introduced on the Panamera earlier this year. This prototype was fitted with a new optional carbon aerodynamic body kit, which included four-way adjustable Gurney spoilers for the rear wing. Porsche experts claim that the Gurney wing reduces the lift of the front part of the car and creates downforce, but the exact data is not specified. It was mounted on specially developed 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

The Porsche Panamera covered the 20,830 km (12,943 mi) long track in 7:24.17, which is 5.64 seconds faster than the Panamera Turbo S, and three seconds faster than the previous record holder, the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S.

“The powertrain, the aerodynamics, the chassis, the new ultra-high-performance tires from Michelin – many aspects have contributed to this best time. The new Porsche Active Ride chassis has made a particularly big contribution. The car stays parallel to the road at all times. Its cornering and body stability are on a whole new level. As a driver, this gives me a good feeling and further underlines that our development doesn’t just offer maximum day-to-day driving comfort, but also makes a real difference on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. No other Porsche offers such a wide spectrum between comfort and sportiness. The new Panamera combines the positive properties of an exclusive touring saloon with the handling of a sports car,” said Porsche test driver Lars Kern.

Source: Porsche

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