Setting Nürburgring lap records in utility vehicles used to be the province of the well-funded but perpetually silly—on shows like Top Gear, for instance. Instead of strapping the late, great Sabine Schmitz into a Ford Transit, Porsche has gone even further this time by strapping the brand’s most powerful V-8 into the 2022 Cayenne Turbo GT, and the new “SUV, off-road vehicle, van, or pickup” record holder arrives in the United States early next year.
While a 7:38.9-second Nordschleife lap time is a lofty achievement for any vehicle, it’s pushing the limits of our current understanding of physics for a street-legal, 5000-pound SUV. Powering the Cayenne Turbo GT’s exploration of the theoretical envelope is a 631-hp, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine rated at 626 pound-feet of torque with a maximum engine speed of 6800 rpm, backed by Porsche’s familiar ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission.
While a 7:38.9-second Nordschleife lap time is a lofty achievement for any vehicle, it’s pushing the limits of our current understanding of physics for a street-legal, 5000-pound SUV. Powering the Cayenne Turbo GT’s exploration of the theoretical envelope is a 631-hp, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine rated at 626 pound-feet of torque with a maximum engine speed of 6800 rpm, backed by Porsche’s familiar ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission. For the full story, check out this article from Car And Driver.
