Automotive

Stelvio scorches production SUV record at the Nurburgring

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The Stelvio Quadrifoglio has outdone the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S at the Nurburgring
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio takes on the Nurburgring Nordschleife
The badge on the Stelvio is on the comeback 
Fabio Francia prepares for his lap in the Stelvio 
The Stelvio is powered by a V6 derived from the Ferrari California V8
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio has outdone the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S at the Nurburgring
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is powered by the same engine as the hot Giulia
The Stelvio is underpinned by the same platform as the Giulia
A camouflaged Stelvio set the record in Germany 
The Stelvio is also available in less powerful trim
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio goes through the Karussel 
The all-wheel drive Stelvio should have more grip than the Giulia
The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio takes on the Nurburgring 
The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio takes on the Nurburgring 
The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio takes on the Nurburgring 
The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio takes on the Nurburgring 
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After a few decades rusting in the wilderness, Alfa Romeo is back. The renaissance started with the Giulia but, given how popular mid-size SUVs are at the moment, the new Stelvio is arguably more commercially important for the brand. Although it doesn't guarantee sales success, the Stelvio has proven its performance chops with a new Nurburgring Nordschleife SUV lap record.

To be fair, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio isn't your average school run SUV. Power comes from the same Ferrari-derived V6 as the Giulia, making the same 510 hp (380 kW) of power and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque. It's put to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox from ZF, for a sub four-second sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph).

There are a few decidedly non-SUV options available on the car, like carbon-fiber racing seats and carbon ceramic brakes. Neither of those things are likely to be particularly useful when you're taking the dog to the vet, but they will come into their own if owners want to hit their local track.

Piloted by Fabio Francia, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio lapped the 12.9 mi (20.8 km) North Loop in just 7:51.7 – eight seconds faster than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S that previously held the record, and quicker than the regular BMW M4. Impressive, no?

The video of the full lap is below. Conspiracy theorists have already started suggesting it has been cut together or edited, but we're willing to take Alfa Romeo at its word. Check it out and judge for yourself below.

Source: Alfa Romeo

View gallery - 15 images
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1 comment
TheSplund
Well, you might call it an SUV but to me it looks like just another fat saloon. An SUV (mid-size or other) needs to have some amount of ground clearance for those 'Utility' elements of the SUV moniker - it's not all about the 'Sport' bit.