2005 Sportec SP600M

Swiss Tuner Sportec, in co-operation with its project partners Toyo tires and Shell, not only blew away the 300 km mark for SUVs, but left the current world record of 282 km/h far behind by achieving a stunning 308.435 km/h. This world speed record with the Sportec SP600M on a 2.5 ton class Porsche Cayenne turbo was accomplished in the presence of international journalists at the ATP test track in Papenburg, Germany.

After this successful run, Ueli Hodel, Chief developer and founder of conversion systems specializing in Porsches and Audis, was very pleased, remarking: ‘For our team, the SUV speed record is the icing on the cake for a very complex development project. We have been working hard for 13 months to reconcile top performance, meet road capabilities, lower the average fuel consumption, and generate solid styling. I am happy to see that we finally managed to achieve all of our targets.’

The technical specifications of the SUV leave little doubt. With an effective output of 700 bhp, the record-setting vehicle has 250 bhp more than its street brother, and the torque was increased by 230 Nm for a total of 850 Nm to propel the SP600M in 4.2 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h – while the sprint to 200 km/h took only 14.6 seconds. The top speed went up from 266 km/h to 308 km/h. Such impressive features have truly earned the Sportec SP600M the envious title of ‘The world’s fastest SUV.’

The mass-produced 4.5L V8 Biturbo was modified extensively by Sportec’s developers to include a customized engine controls, Sportec camshafts, Sportec air mass meter, flow optimized exhaust manifold, Sportec turbocharger, exhaust pre-tubes with sports catalytic converters, sports exhaust system, sports air filter and an optimized fuel system and cooling cycle.

The SP600M’s chassis was also modified to match the sporty performance, with an in-house developed Electronic Suspension Control (ESC) module that allowed variable, speed-dependent clearance of as little as 40 mm.

Make good automobiles even better – that is the principle guiding Sportec’s auto conversions. This is apparent in the SP600’s aerodynamic ehancements, including the wheels, elegant front and side aprons and side sills. Pure carbon linings turn the SUV’s inside and outside into a designer piece. The reworked SP600M version also has a roof edge spoiler that cuts down problematic rear eddies at high speeds.

In achieving the world speed record, the SUV’s tires and rims were put to the test. With its highly developed SHL PROXES S/T tires, Toyo used 295/30/R22 tires for the record-setting vehicle. In order to keep the unsprung mass as low as possible, the 22-inch Sportec Mono/10 rims were manufactured with a special forging and milling technique – with the result that the aluminum rims weigh in at just 14.8 kg. They also help improve the steering and driving precision markedly.