The Merc-AMG GT 4dr is the fastest ‘luxury vehicle’ around the 'Ring

Ridiculous news just in: Mercedes has retaken the record for the “fastest luxury class vehicle on the Nordschleife” from Porsche, after AMG development engineer Demian Schaffert set a time of 7m 27.8s in a 2021-spec AMG GT 4dr. The facelifted Porsche Panamera Turbo S set a 7m 29.81s earlier this year, bettering the 7m 30.11s lap Schaffert set a couple of years ago.

Ignoring, for a moment, how bewildering it is that such a record even exists (seriously, who the hell cares what ‘luxury’ or ‘executive’ car is faster around the ‘Ring?) at least Mercedes and Porsche are trading times using the ‘Ring’s official protocol for setting lap records. Record attempts are supervised by a notary, and vehicles/tyres inspected ahead of time “with regard to their series-production state”. In other words – it’s fair.

The times listed above, and on the ‘Ring’s website, are for the full 20.832km circuit, where the start and finish lines are the same. Not the 20.6km circuit that’s been used for ‘Ring records in the past.

What exactly makes this AMG GT 4dr faster than before? “Newly tuned elastokinematics and other fine-tuning measures,” we’re told. The record-setting car wore Michelin Cup2 tyres and an aero package you can spec as options on the production car.

So well done Mercedes, but won’t you hurry up and do a lap in the GT Black Series already?