Alfa Romeo has broken the Nürburgring lap record for SUVs with the new Stelvio Quadrifoglio, with a time of 7:51.7.

This usurps previous lap record holder, the Range Rover Sport SVR, which lapped the circuit in eight minutes and 14 seconds.

The Stelvio’s time also equals those of the BMW M4 in 2015 and places it amongst the top 100 road cars to ever post a lap time. It's an accolade which the brand hopes will mark it out from a burgeoning sports SUV segment, with existing as well as upconing rivals like the BMW X3 M, Audi RS Q5, Jaguar F-Pace SVR and Porsche Macan Turbo all vying for supremity.

The Quadrifoglio would have to shed a further minute and six seconds to be the fastest road car car ever around the ‘Ring, but is only eight seconds off the Honda Civic Type R’s 7:43.8 time; the fastest front-wheel drive lap of the track.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is 39bhp down on the Range Rover Sport SVR, but its kerb weight, some 600-plus kilos lighter than the SVR gave it the edge.

It’s the second Nürburgring record posted in as many days - Porsche set the production road car record with the 911 GT2 RS, achieving a time of 6:47.3; over one minute and four seconds quicker than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.