The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT continues to impress with its speed and is now officially the fastest production SUV around the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi with a time of 2:14.046.
Gold standard
As a reminder, the pre-facelifted Cayenne Turbo GT held the record for the fastest lap around the Nürburgring, generally accepted as the gold standard, with 7:38.926 for a few years until the Audi RS Q8 came along last year in a time of 7:36.698.
New format
The record was set in an officially sanctioned event, the first time that the Yas Marina Circuit and Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) have combined to conduct a newly established format for officially recognised production car lap records.
Piloting the performance SUV was Ramez Azzam, winner of the GT4 class in this year’s Dubai 24 Hours, with an average speed of 141.83km/h around the 5.281-kilometre track.
Racing driver Ramez Azzam with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Image: Supplied
“The power and sound of the engine are impressive, but what sets the Cayenne Turbo GT apart is its braking and handling performance.
"For a car of this size to brake so late, carry so much corner speed and sit so flat is remarkable. I could push it so hard and still have confidence. It’s crazy,” he said.
Power
The Cayenne Turbo GT is powered by a 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 producing 485kW and 850Nm coupled to an eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox and will get from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds.
It comes standard with Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation system, Active Rear Wheel Steering, and the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system.
The fastest lap in an F1 car around the Circuit is a blistering 1:23.517 set by Lando Norris.
The Yas Marina Circuit is the host of the last F1 race every season and is now able to officially sanction production car lap records for the first time.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is available in South Africa and costs R4 506 000.