The Nurburgring Nordschleife has been used for decades by manufacturers as the ultimate proving ground for their machines. Its 12.9 miles of twisting, demanding turns, and hair-raising straights mean it's one of the best places on Earth for carmakers to prove their car's handling and performance. All manner of machines gets put to the test at the Nurburgring, from family hatchbacks to track-only prototype cars. The record for the fastest production car is currently held by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, which achieved a time of 6:43.62.
The Black Series was custom-built to be incredible around a track but at the expense of being no good at anything else. But what about cars that offer both practicality and performance? Sedans are traditionally mostly about economy and sensibility, but the fastest models today are seriously capable round a track too. So capable in fact, that they can put up times that compete with supercars made specifically for all-out speed. These performance sedans all offer a level of practicality that's not possible with a supercar, but they're just as fast as one round the Nurburgring.
10 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C - 8:06.01
WRX STIs are often associated with boy racers or owners that are more obsessed with racing others on the roads rather than round a track. But, it turns out that these cars have some pedigree on the Nurburgring too, with Japanese racing driver Motoharu Kurosawa setting a near 8-minute time way back in 2004.
For comparison, that's only ten seconds slower than a Ferrari 360 from the same era. Considering the price difference between a top-spec Scooby and a 360 at the time, that's an incredibly impressive amount of bang-per-buck.
9 Cadillac CTS-V - 7:59.32
Despite Cadillac's insistence on making bad branding decisions as of late, the company has been putting out genuinely solid cars for several years. One particular highlight is the CTS-V, a car that combines old-school muscle car power with the practicalities of a family sedan.
General Motors ran the car around the Nurburgring in 2008, clocking a time a full 5 seconds faster than an Audi R8 from the same year. Despite the car's impressive performance, Caddy could never tempt many buyers away from rival offerings, and the CTS-V was consistently a low seller throughout its production run.
8 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S 4MATIC - 7:55.00
As a German circuit, it's no surprise that the Nurburgring has long attracted the attention of the country's domestic manufacturers. The E63 is the first of several local entries, clocking a time of 7:55 mins in 2013.
The E63 AMG is Merc's full-size sedan offering but with more of everything, transforming the car from business to beastly. Given that AMGs are some of the fastest depreciating vehicles on the market, a used E63 is probably one of the most attainable cars on this list. Just watch out for those dreaded maintenance bills, though.
7 Volvo S60 Polestar - 7:51.51
For many years, Volvos were the epitome of boring, but the brand has worked hard over the past couple of decades to change that. In the process, it's put out some searingly fast machines, including the S60 Polestar.
Most buyers opted to purchase theirs in Polestar Blue, which is by far the best way to show that this is no ordinary Volvo. No, this is a car that's faster around the Nurburgring than a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The difference is that the Polestar can take the kids to soccer practice too.
6 Porsche Taycan Turbo - 7:42.34
The Taycan is a revolutionary vehicle in many ways, being one of the first true rivals to challenge Tesla's market dominance. It also represents the next generation of sedans, blurring the lines between coupe-like styling and traditional family practicality.
Despite its name, the Taycan doesn't actually have a turbocharger, as it's fully electric. In fact, it's currently the fastest fully electric car around the 'Ring, posting a time that's roughly on par with a Corvette C6 ZR1.
5 BMW M5 Competition - 7:35.90
This is where things start to get seriously tasty, as all of the following sedans can compete with most of today's supercars. BMW's M5 Competition needs no further introduction, as any car fan who hasn't been living under a rock will be well aware of its staggering performance.
Despite being as fast as a McLaren 650S Spider, the M5 Competition retains the regular 5 Series' class-leading practicality, meaning it's both comfortable and insanely fast. That combination doesn't come cheap though, as the 2021 M5 Competition Sport costs an eye-watering $143,995.
4 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV - 7:32.00
Alfa doesn't get much recognition for their performance cars, but the Giulia QV proves they absolutely should do. With a 'Ring time of 7:32, the QV has beaten both the Koenigsegg CCX and Pagani Zonda F around the circuit.
The Guilia has the added bonus of looking absolutely stunning, surely one of the best-looking sedans on the market right now. It might not be the obvious choice for a super-sedan, but the Giulia QV makes a pretty compelling case to buy Italian instead of German.
3 Porsche Panamera Turbo - 7:29.81
Many car fans are still divided on the Panamera, with some thinking it's one of the ugliest Porsches ever and some loving its best-of-both-worlds setup. Whatever anyone's views on its appearance, the numbers paint a much clearer picture. The Panamera Turbo is fast. Very fast.
The sedan clocks in at under seven and a half minutes on the leaderboard, which is actually faster than a 911 Carrera S. Granted, it isn't able to touch the times of a new 911 GT3, but then it will be a lot more difficult to do a grocery run in a GT3.
2 Jaguar XE SV Project 8 - 7:23.16
One of Jaguar's all-time silliest creations, the Project 8 is an XE but not like any before it. In fact, the only panels carried over from the regular XE are the front doors and the roof. Other than that, this is a car custom-built for the track.
On paper, the Project 8 is very impressive, with a 592 hp V8 and 0-62 mph in just 3.7 seconds. That all translates to a blisteringly fast 'Ring time, only missing out on being the fastest sedan of all by one tenth of a second.
1 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door GT63 S 4MATIC+ - 7:23.01
Currently, the speediest sedan ever run around the 'Ring is the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door, which is essentially a re-bodied AMG GT but with two extra doors. It beats cars like the Ferrari Enzo and Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 by around two seconds, while still having a full 456 liters of trunk space, enough for four people's luggage.
It's probably one of the best all-around cars on the market right now, with an unbeatable combination of everyday hauling capability and world-beating track performance. Don't start Googling the directions to the nearest Benz dealer yet though, as the car costs well north of $160,000. That means only a lucky few will ever be able to experience this all-around brilliant machine.