The Volvo S60 Polestar Secretly Set A Nurburgring Lap Record Last Year

May. 26, 2017 2:00 PM ET byJay Traugott /14 Comments

Those modest Swedes just never told anyone.

It may have taken a year to make the official announcement, but better late than never. As it turns out, Volvo's racing partner, Cyan Racing, formerly Polestar Racing, took theVolvo S60 Polestar在纽博格林去年外面兜风。但我t wasn't just an informal lap for fun. Quite the opposite. As it turns out, the S60 Polestar set a new Nurburgring lap record for a four-door sedan. Yes, that means the Volvo S60 Polestaris faster around the Nurburgring Nordschleifethan the likes of the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63.

Why didn't Volvo make this announcement a year ago? Because at the time it was simply testing the sedan, which ultimately set a lap time of 7:51.110. Consider it a happy accident (and some Swedish modesty). However, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has since set a new record Green Hell lap time of 7:32.

But the Volvo S60 Polestar's accomplishment is still very noteworthy, especially considering it's powered by a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 362 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, whereas the Alfa has a Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V6 with 505 hp under its hood.