Thanks to its potent hybrid setup, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is one of the fastest sedans on the planet. An electric motor and 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 combine to produce a substantial 680 hp, enabling the four-door sedan to hit 0-62 mph in just 3.4 seconds before reaching a top speed of 193 mph. To demonstrate the sedan’s performance, Porsche recently took the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid to six FIA-approved racetracks – and it set a benchmark lap record at each circuit, albeit a very specific one.
Porsche can now call the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid the “fastest luxury four door hybrid sedan” around the Bahrain International Circuit, Yas Marina Circuit, Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Buddh International Circuit, Dubai Autodrome, and Losail International Circuit.
Behind the wheel was factory development driver Lars Kern, who also set last year’s Nurburgring lap record in the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, which has since been beaten by the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. You can view each lap record on Porsche’s website. Billed by Porsche as “one of the most technologically advanced circuits in the world” the Yas Marina Circuit boasts 21 turns and the longest straight of the F1 calendar. The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid completed a lap around the circuit in just two minutes and 31.79 seconds.
Located in the Sakhir desert, the Bahrain International Circuit is home to the FIA World Endurance. It took the hybrid Panamera two minutes and 18.96 seconds to navigate the 5.412-mile long circuit. The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, on the other hand, is located in Johannesburg, South Africa, and features fast sweeping sections and tight technical turns that tested the Panamera’s agility. It lapped the circuit in two minutes and 31.79 seconds.
Best known for hosting the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix, the Buddh International Circuit was lapped by the hybrid Panamera in two minutes and 12.56 seconds, while the Dubai Autodrome, a challenging circuit with 16 very technical corners, was lapped in two minutes and 19.15 seconds. Finally, the Losail international Circuit, located in Qatar, was completed in two minutes and 24.12 seconds.
