Porsche just confirmed that the next-generation Panamera Turbo lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 7:29.81 minutes, which is a new record in Nurburgring's official raking for "executive cars." However, despite previous rumors, the next-gen Panamera Turbo isn't the quickest four-door sedan on the German track.

The new Porsche Panamera Turbo is significantly faster than the old model

In 2016, the outgoing Panamera Turbo lapped the 'Ring in 7:38.46 minutes. This means that the upcoming four-door ran the German track 8.55 seconds faster.

However, Porsche argues that the new benchmark was set on a slightly longer version of the track. In 2016, official laps were run on a 20.6-km track, while the 2020 version of the course measures 20.83 km, which includes a 200-meter section at grandstand T13. The German carmaker says that the new Panamera Turbo passed the 20.6-km mark after 7:25.04 minutes and argues that the run was actually around 13 seconds faster than four years ago.

The record car was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for extra grip. These won't be standard on the Panamera Turbo, but Porsche will offer them as options after the market launch, so we could say that the benchmark was set in production guise. On the other hand, the record-breaking Panamera was also equipped with a racing seat and a roll cage as protection for the driver, features that won't be offered in the production model. But this is a common practice nowadays.

The new Porsche Panamera Turbo is faster than hot sedans from BMW and Alfa Romeo

Back in 2016, the Panamera Turbo was the quickest four-door vehicle around the 'Ring with its 7:38-minute benchmark. But the German sedan lost its record-holding position in 2017, when Alfa Romeo lapped the track in 7:32 minutes with the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Panamera Turbo was also surpassed by the BMW M5 Competition in 2019 with a 7:35.9-minute lap. This new run places the Panamera Turbo in front of these cars again. If you like numbers, the new Panamera Turbo is three seconds faster than the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and six seconds quicker than the BMW M5 Competition.

The new Porsche Panamera Turbo is not the fastest four-door sedan

Before Porsche released the official lap time there were rumors that the Panamera Turbo will become the fastest four-door sedan on the Nurburgring, but this isn't the case. According to the Nurburgring's official website and rankings, the new Panamera Turbo is the fastest "executive car," having surpassed the 7:30.11-minute record that Mercedes-Benz set in 2018 with the AMG GT 63 S 4-Door}.

But there's one sedan that is quicker than the Panamera Turbo. I'm talking about the Jaguar XE SV Project 8, which lapped the 'Ring in 7:23.164 minutes in July 2019. This vehicle is listed in a different "mid-range cars" category by the track's official ranking, but the Project 8 is the outright record holder when it comes to all four-door sedans.