Alfa Romeo Reclaims Nurburgring Sedan Record

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Alfa Romeo unit has set a track record for a production sedan at Germany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife course with a Giulia Quadrifoglio equipped with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The Quadrifoglio’s run of 7 minutes and 32 seconds easily bests the previous mark of 7 minutes and 38 seconds, which was set in June by a Porsche Panamera S Turbo. Porsche had edged out another Alfa Quadrifoglio, which posted a time of 7:39 last year with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Both Alfa variants are powered by a Ferrari-sourced 2.9-liter V-6 engine. Kicking out 505 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, the twin-turbo powerplant propels the Quadrifoglio to a top speed of 191 mph.

Fabio Francia, an Alfa Romeo and Maserati test driver, piloted the 8-speed Quadrifoglio’s record run. He also was at the wheel for last year’s record. Watch a video of the record run here.