Here is a list of unofficial Nurburging Nordschleife lap times on supercars.net, evidently compiled from various books, magazines, and websites:

http://www.supercars.net/PitLane?vie...ID=0&tID=10073

and some lap times...

7:49 --- 158.124 km/h – BMW X5 Le Mans, 700 PS/~2000 kg, Hans-Joachim Stuck
7:50 --- 157.787 km/h -- BMW E46 M3 CSL (sport auto 08/03)
7:59 --- 154.822 km/h -- Porsche 997 Carrera S, PASM setting “Performance”, (Walter Roehrl WHEELS 06/ 2004)
8:02 --- 153.858 km/h -- Porsche 997 Carrera S, PASM setting “Sport”, (Walter Roehrl WHEELS 06/ 04)
8:05 --- 152.907 km/h -- Porsche 997 Carrera S, PASM settino “Standard”, Walter Roehrl (WHEELS 06/04)
8:05 --- 152.907 km/h -- Porsche 997 Carrera S, 355PS/1461kg (sport auto 05/05)

Here's where the ML65 slots in:

8:13 --- 150.426 km/h -- BMW M5 (E60), 507 PS/1844 kg (sport auto 12/04)
8:13 --- 150.426 km/h -- Lotus Esprit Sport 350, 354 PS/1324 kg (sport auto 05/99)
8:13 --- 150.426 km/h -- Dodge Viper SRT-10, 506 hp (sport auto, 10/04)
8:14 --- 150.120 km/h -- Mercedes SL 65 AMG, 612 PS/2049 kg (sport auto 01/05), http://speed.supercars.net/PitLane?viewThread=y&gID=0&fID=2&tID=23337
8:14.98 149.824 km/h -- Mitsubishi Carisma Evo VIII GSR MR 8 (Best Motoring video "Carrera Invasion")
8:15 --- 149.818 km/h – BMW Z4 M Roadster, 343 PS/1485 kg, www.autoexpress.co.uk/driven/64720/bmw_z4_m_roadster.html
8:15 --- 149.818 km/h -- Alpina Roadster S, 300 PS/1416 kg (sport auto 6/05), www.supercars.net/PitLane?viewThread=y&gID=0&fID=2&tID=44295
8:15 --- 149.818 km/h -- Corvette C6, 404 PS/1491 kg (sport auto 08/05), www.supercars.net/PitLane?viewThread=y&gID=0&fID=0&tID=46738
8:15* -- 149.818 km/h -- Holden GTS (00), *estimated
8:15 --- 149.818 km/h -- Porsche 997 Carrera 2, Walter Roehrl (WHEELS 06/04)
8:15 --- 149.818 km/h -- Ruf 911 CTR 2, 520 hp

Obvious, different days, different tires, different drivers, different weather... take it for what it's worth.

BTW - Car and Driver posts a lap time of 8:40 for the ML65. The 26 sec difference between Sport Auto magazine time is a major - one of these two times does not reflect the ML65's true performance. A 3rd source is needed to make the measure more accurate.

http://www.caranddriver.com/previews...amg-page3.html

Draw your conclusions.

Note the 7:49 lap posted by Han Stuck in the V12 X5 a couple years back. Could a V-10 X5 run similar times? I'd certainly like to see it.