As much as you may lament the fact fast SUVs are getting more and more popular, you have to admit: They’re getting pretty damn quick. Mercedes took out its new 2019 GLC63 S to set a Nurburgring lap, and it just broke the record for fastest SUV around the 12.9-mile track.
With Mercedes-AMG Development engineer Markus Hofbauer behind the wheel, the GLC63 S was able to manage a wildly quick 7:49.37 around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, beating out the previous SUV lap record holder, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, by over two seconds. The GLC63 is powered by the company’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, making 503 horsepower in this trim (identical in power to the Stelvio’s twin-turbo V6). The Mercedes gets power to all four wheels via the same multi-clutch transmission found in the E63, while the Stelvio transfers energy through a more traditional ZF eight-speed automatic.
For some perspective, the GLC63’s time is quicker than cars like the Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari F430, and Mercedes’ own SL65 AMG Black Series. The company has uploaded a full onboard video of the lap for us all to watch, including a driver cam and telemetry, which can be seen below.
No matter what you may think of fast SUVs, they’re not going to stop being made anytime soon. The BMW X3 M and X4 M are well on their way, as are the newly refreshed versions of the bigger X5 M and X6 M. We’ll just have to get used to them.
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