Porsche has used the latest Panamera Turbo S to claim another production car lap record at the Road Atlanta circuit.
With some 620 hp, the new four-door Panamera managed to lap the twisting 2.54-mile track in 1 minute 31.51 seconds.
This is the third occasion in under two years that the German marque has bested the Southern USA venue.
A home-field advantage?
It is worth noting that Porsche Cars North America is based in nearby Atlanta, Georgia. It makes the famed circuit a prime location for testing new models.
Leh Keen, a Georgia native, was responsible for setting the new lap record. Having won the Grand Am Rolex GT Championship twice behind the wheel of a Porsche, Keen is clearly no slouch.
He was also responsible for setting the production EV lap time at Road Atlanta in 2019, driving a Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
More grip, more luxury
The updated Panamera Turbo S features a twin-turbocharged 4.0-l V8 engine, with 620 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque. Porsche’s eight-speed PDK transmission, rear-axle steering, and carbon ceramic composite brakes all helped with the new lap time.
However, credit also goes to the road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 ND0 ultra-high performance rubber. Developed at the Nürburgring specifically for the Panamera, the trick Michelins will undoubtedly have aided the big four-door at Road Atlanta.
Speaking about the record run, Keen commented that Porsche engineers have “found a perfect balance” with the revised Panamera.
He added that the “stability gave me a ton of confidence to use every bit of the asphalt and curbs. And yet the car has a completely different and more refined and relaxed character on the highway – an amazing combination.”
Georgia on My Mind
Whilst Leh Keen’s lap time in the 2021 Panamera is impressive, it is still several seconds behind Porsche’s fastest car around Road Atlanta.
In 2019, racing driver and writer Randy Pobst lapped the circuit in 1 minute 24.88 seconds, using a 700 hp Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
Keen will at least have had the benefit of 14-way adjustable leather seats, and a 710-watt Bose Surround Sound system, whilst setting a lap time in the Panamera.
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