Porsche development driver Lars Kern has achieved an extraordinary feat at the Nürburgring in a stunning display of performance prowess. Piloting a pre-series Taycan, Kern clocked a remarkable lap time of 7:07.55 minutes on the challenging Nordschleife circuit. This official timing represents a substantial improvement of 26 seconds over his previous record-setting drive in August 2022, where he navigated a Taycan Turbo S Sport sedan equipped with the performance package.
The magnitude of this achievement is not lost on Kevin Giek, the head of the Taycan model line, who emphasizes the significance of the time difference in motorsport terms. Giek notes that Kern’s sensational lap time places the Porsche Taycan in the same league as electric hypercars, showcasing Porsche’s remarkable strides in performance.
Kern himself expresses the limits of his efforts, stating, “I pushed as hard as I could, but that was really all I could do.” The experienced racer had exclusive access to the Nürburgring-Nordschleife for a day dedicated to fast laps. The pre-series test car was equipped with a legally mandated roll cage and racing bucket seats to ensure safety.
Notable improvements emerge when comparing the recent record-breaking run to Kern’s 2022 performance in the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The pre-series Taycan demonstrated a speed advantage of 25 km/h approaching the Schwedenkreuz section. When Kern completed the lap near Grandstand 13 (T13), the distance covered surpassed that of the Turbo S at the same point by over 1.3 kilometers, highlighting the substantial leap in performance achieved on the 20.8 km Nordschleife circuit in Germany’s Eifel region.
Enthusiasts eagerly await the release of an onboard video capturing the entirety of Kern’s remarkable lap, scheduled for publication in mid-March. The video is anticipated to provide an immersive perspective into the skillful and high-speed maneuvers that propelled the pre-series Taycan to new heights on the iconic Nürburgring track.