With the growing popularity of crossovers, trucks, and SUVs, the performance sedan segment is fast approaching its final days. Once revered for their practicality, convenience, affordability, and sportiness, performance sedans are soon becoming articles of a forgotten era. Many mainstream automakers are fighting to keep the segment alive like Korean car manufacturer Kia with its Stinger offering.
Even today there are many exciting performance sedans that you can buy and as performance enthusiasts, it is our responsibility to revive this fleeting motoring icon. Many of these forgotten heroes have even dominated the Nürburgring and the truest of fans would know how challenging the historic Deutschland track can be.
10 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S 4Matic - 7:55
The automotive world has always looked up to the tri-star brand for its pioneering work in car safety, luxury, and technology. Over the years, the company has built some of the most exciting models the world has ever seen, but some of them have proven to be quite the disappointments.
The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S is definitely one of the former models. The car was powered by a 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 motor that delivered 605 BHP of maximum power and 627 lb-ft of peak torque.
9 BMW F10 M5 Competition - 7:54
The 2020 model year of the BMW M5 is as close as one could get to the quintessential super sedan. That does not mean that the nameplate’s predecessors are any less capable. The F10 M5 Competition is a remarkable performance sedan and sports one of the most well-proportioned and timeless designs the Bavarian carmaker has proposed in recent years.
In its most powerful state of tune, the car was powered by a twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V8 motor which produced 591 BHP of power and 516 lb-ft of max torque.
8 Porsche Panamera Turbo S (970) - 7:52
Its controversial aesthetics aside, the Porsche Panamera has always been one of the best handling super sedans in the world, and according to Matt Farah, the 2021 installment of the Turbo S is a chip off the old block.
The 970 Panamera Turbo S managed to lap the legendary racetrack in just 7 minutes and 52 seconds. The models’ top speed was rated at 190 MPH and a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 motor stays under the hood. The maximum power output of the drivetrain was rated at 542 BHP.
7 Volvo S60 Polestar - 7:51.11
Volvo is mostly associated with family cars with a high standard of safety, but the Swedish carmaker also produced one of the finest performance sedans the world has ever seen. The Volvo S60 Polestar featured one of the most exceptional turbocharged engines of all time.
The body panels were completely redesigned and made out of carbon fiber and steel to accommodate the much wider alloy wheels. The 3-liter inline six-cylinder turbocharged engine was capable of producing 500 BHP of peak power and 424 lb-ft of maximum torque.
6 Porsche Taycan - 7:42
The growing popularity of electric vehicles is greatly responsible for the declining demand for performance sedans. The Porsche Taycan proves that electrification is not just the future of the automotive industry but also of the performance sedan segment.
The car was designed to rival Tesla Model S and the 750 BHP dual-motor Taycan Turbo S variant can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 2.4 seconds. Tesla recently launched the Plaid versions of Model S which comes equipped with a tri-motor setup but that car has not set an official Nürburgring lap time yet.
5 BMW M5 - 7:38.92
The BMW M5 is more of a super sedan than a performance sedan and with its 600 BHP motor, the car is more than deserving of its distinguished classification. Under the hood, sits a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 motor which also produces 553 lb-ft of maximum torque.
The BMW M5 is a luxurious 4-door sedan that can also accelerate to 60 MPH from a complete standstill in just 3 seconds. To handle the intimidating power output, BMW equipped the M5 with a very capable all-wheel-drive system.
4 Porsche Panamera Turbo (2017-present) - 7:38
The Stuttgart-based sports carmaker had produced some of the greatest examples of automotive excellence that are adored by experts and enthusiasts alike. The second-generation Porsche Panamera might not be as exciting as the company’s other offerings, but it is not dull either.
The Panamera’s turbo variant is powered by the company’s 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 which churns out 542 BHP of power and 568 lb-ft of peak torque. The top speed of the sports sedan is rated at 190 MPH and it only takes 3.6 seconds to make the 0-62 MPH run.
3 BMW M5 Competition - 7:35.9
The BMW M5 Competition was designed to rival the Mercedes-AMG E63 and thanks to the rivalry BMW ended up developing one of the finest performance sedans of all time. We find a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 motor under the hood which produces 553 lb-ft of peak torque and 617 BHP of maximum power.
The engine comes mated to a purpose-built M Sport exhaust and the chassis of the car has been adjusted to be more responsive. The BMW M5 makes the 0 to 60 MPH sprint in just 3 seconds.
2 Porsche Panamera Turbo (2020) - 7:29
When Porsche first introduced the Panamera, the design of the luxurious sedan received a lot of mixed reviews from both critics and customers alike. The car's styling might have had a polarizing effect on people but its performance more than makes up for any shortcomings.
The Porsche Panamera Turbo managed to dominate the legendary Nürburgring thanks to its 4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 motor which produces 550 BHP of power and 567 lb-ft of maximum torque. The Panamera Turbo is capable of accelerating to 60 MPH from a complete standstill in just 3 seconds.
1 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé - 7:25.41
The all-new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe comes equipped with the most powerful motor the tri-star brand and its performance division has ever produced. Under the hood of this menacing performance sedan sits a 4-liter handcrafted bi-turbo V8 motor that produces 639 BHP.
Even more impressive are the torque figures of the power plant which are rated at 664 lb-ft. Like the BMW M5, Mercedes-AMG has equipped the GT 4-door Coupe with an all-wheel-drive system to help manage the overwhelming power output.