Are you wondering why Porsche keeps calling the brand-new Panamera “the fastest luxury sedan on earth”? Well, here’s why.

Nowadays, it seems like the norm requires every performance vehicle to go through a 21 km trial of asphalt and speed at the Nurburgring, in order to prove its might; whether it’s a four-door sedan (in this case), a pure-bred supercar, or a mix between the two.

The Panamera may look a bit unassuming compared to pure two-door sports cars, but its restrained looks hide lightning-fast performance, as Porsche clocked the 550PS / 542hp and 770Nm / 568 lb-ft 4.0-liter V8 Panamera Turbo around Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 38 seconds. That’s as fast as a Lexus LF-A, Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, and Porsche 997 911 Turbo, and in a different league when compared to other four-door saloons.

There isn’t even a point to pit it against the next sedan on the list (which is the current-gen BMW M5 with a time of 7 minutes and 55 seconds) because between them there's a big list of high-performance vehicles, which includes the 997 GT3 RS and the Ferrari 430 Scuderia.

The time was set using a factory-stock vehicle and standard tires, and you can see the model battling the track in the video below.

One thing is for sure: the second generation of the Panamera, which was launched in Berlin at the beginning of the summer, clearly intends to set even higher standards for the segment. Its all-new successor, fully manufactured in Leipzig, carries a detailed combination of the performance of a sports car and the luxury of a superior sedan.

Porsche's new saloon aspires to hold the title of the sports car of its genre and, in order to sustain that, the Germans have mirrored its exterior design elegance to the iconic 911. Although the overall character of its predecessor has been preserved, numerous enhancements have been made, focusing, not only on design, but on a natural balance between performance and comfort.

It boasts a new chassis, a more fuel- efficient, 8-speed dual clutch transmission and two brand new engines. The petrol engines include the twin-turbo, V6 2.9lt for the 4S, and the twin-turbo, V8 4lt with 550hp for the premium Turbo version. The range is completed for the first time with a 4.0-liter diesel V8. At the same time, safety and comfort remain paramount in the new German grand tourer. The driver will find a variety of electronic systems at their convenience, ready to assist in almost any situation, from night driving to last minute information about traffic or speed limits.

First time out, the Panamera was severely handicapped by its looks. Now, there are no excuses...

Hybrids are for more than saving fuel, according to Porsche. To wit, the German automaker's upcoming 2018 Panamera 4 E-Hybrid boasts 462 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque courtesy of its 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 (330 hp and 331 lb-ft) and electric motor (136 hp and 295 lb-ft). All that power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed PDK transmission, resulting in a 4.4-second 0-60 run and a top speed of 172 miles per hour.

For those keeping track at home, those performance stats put the E-Hybrid a few ticks behind the 2017 Panamera 4S, which uses a more powerful version of the twin-turbo V6 engine to hit 60 in 4.0 seconds (with the optional Sport Chrono package). The payoff, though, is in efficiency. There's a maximum electric range of 31 miles with a fully charged battery, and the engine isn't needed until speeds top 86 mph. That means the majority of drivers won't need to use a drop of gas for most daily driving chores.

The E-Hybrid ought to be pretty fun to drive, too. In the previous Panamera Hybrid, the accelerator pedal had to be pressed at least 80 percent of the way down to get maximum electric motivation. For the new version, every electric horse is available at all times. Coupled with the nature of turbocharged engines, we'd imagine there's going to be a lovely wave of torque at around-town speeds and on highway on-ramps.

A liquid-cooled, 14.1-kWh, lithium-ion battery is located under the floor of the cargo area. It takes 12 hours to charge on a standard outlet, or as little as 3 hours with an optional high-speed charger. As with other Panamera models, most of the interior buttons have been replaced with touch-sensitive panels. E-Hybrid models get unique programming for the dual 7-inch displays in the dash and the 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the center stack that shows various power meters and driving tips to increase efficiency.

Porsche's Sport Chrono Package comes standard on the Panamera E-Hybrid. In addition to the Sport and Sport Plus modes of the steering-wheel-mounted mode switch, there's an E-Power mode that relies solely on electricity, a Hybrid Auto mode for maximum gas/electric efficiency, an E-Hold setting that switches the car into gas-only mode to preserve the battery, and an E-Charge mode that forces the gas engine to keep the battery fully charged. If you want maximum performance, you'll want to keep the switch in Sport Plus.

Expect the 2018 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid to hit US showrooms this summer. Prices aren't yet known, and official EPA fuel efficiency figures haven't been released.