Porsche Cayenne beats Audi RS Q8’s Nurburgring lap record

The Porsche Cayenne has set a new Nurburgring lap record for production SUVs. It lapped the Nordschleife in 7 min 38.925 seconds, beating the previous record of 7 min 42.253 seconds set by the Audi RS Q8.

The record was set by Porsche test driver Lars Kern. According to Porsche, the only modifications that were made to the car included a racing seat and a roll cage. Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires were used for the record run. These will be offered on the production car as well.

While Porsche is yet to disclose the detailed specifications of the new Cayenne, the record-setting car is believed to be powered by a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 producing over 630 hp.

Here’s the on-board video of the Audi RS Q8 that became the fastest SUV to lap the Green Hell in 2019.

The RS Q8 also uses a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 that pumps out a healthy 600 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Both the Cayenne and RS Q8 are pretty hefty, but it’s the way they handle the extra bulk around the twisty sections of the track that sets them apart.