The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio was the SUV king at the ring but has now been dethroned by the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S.
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio achieved the record in 2017 with a time of 7:51.7, to become the fastest SUV to lap the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ has now claimed that title with a time of 7:49.4, driven by Mercedes-AMG Development Engineer, Markus Hofbauer, who smashed the record on his first attempt with a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine with 375 kW and 700 Nm under the bonnet. It’s capable of a zero to 100 kph sprint in just 3.8-seconds, which is phenomenal for an SUV weighing 1 850 kg.
Comparatively, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is powered by a 2.9-litre bi-turbo V6 developing 375 kW and 600 Nm of torque and is capable of sprinting from zero to 100 kph in the same 3.8 seconds.
It’s unlikely that the record will stand for long as there are heavy-hitters in the wings such as the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk which are strong candidates to snatch the title from the Merc. Time will tell, but for now, the record stands…
Watch the record-breaking drive in the video below…
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