The Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S has unseated the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio as the fastest production SUV to have ever lapped the 12.9-mile Nürburgring. 

AMG development engineer Markus Hofbauer beat the record on his first attempt, leveraging the GLC’s 4.0-litre V8, ceramic brakes and adaptive dampers to set a time of 7 minutes, 49.3 seconds. That’s two seconds faster than the Alfa’s record, which has stood since last September, and about as fast as a VW Golf GTI Clubsport S. 

The Alfa and Merc are pretty close when it comes to spec. The former uses a V6, and the latter a V8, but both make exactly 503bhp and claim 0–100kph in 3.8 seconds. The Merc has more torque – 698Nm plays 601Nm – but is almost 200kg heavier than the Italian. Markus must really have been going some…

How long will the GLC’s record stand? Who knows? Porsche could head out again with the latest Cayenne Turbo – the Stelvio beat its predecessor by eight seconds – or perhaps Lamborghini fancies it with the Urus. Whatever happens, we now live in an era where SUVs can lap the ’Ring in comfortably under eight minutes. And that’s just mad.