Porsche has just recorded a new lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the 911 GT3 RS in the hands of Porsche brand ambassador and development driver Jörg Bergmeister. The all-new track-focused supercar crossed the finish line in 6:49.328 minutes, and although it’s not a new lap record by any means, it still managed to beat the current, “regular” GT3 by a whopping 10.6 seconds.
The sub-seven-minute time places the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS in third place in its class (Sports cars), behind the much more powerful GT2 RS and – stingingly – the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. But despite the relatively slower lap time, Porsche says they were still satisfied with the car’s performance.
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Porsche Director of GT cars, Andreas Preuninger said, “Today the 911 GT3 RS delivered what it had already promised at first glance – absolute excellence on the racetrack. Considering the far from ideal conditions, with a strong headwind on the long straight of the Döttinger Höhe and cool asphalt temperatures, we are satisfied with this time.
“The 911 GT3 RS is setting new standards for aerodynamics and the chassis. Never before has a road car embodied so much motorsport.”
Unlike the two other cars on the leaderboard podium, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS still believes in the purest form of propulsion, with the 4.0-litre rear-mounted flat-six engine foregoing any sort of forced induction. Despite being naturally-aspirated, the engine still pumps out an impressive 525 hp while it revs all the way up to a glorious 9,000 rpm.
The all-new 911 GT3 RS’ pièce de résistance, however, is its incredible aerodynamics. Thanks to the new adjustable aero appendages, the track-focused supercar is able to achieve a total downforce of 860 kg at 285 km/h – three times as much as a standard 911 GT3. At the straights, the new rear wings can also be opened up a la Formula 1’s DRS system, reducing drag to raise the car’s top speed.
For the recorded lap, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS was equipped with the Weissach package, alongside the super sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres. All of these additions are available as options to the customers, and is therefore valid for the official timing board – an official was present to check and verify the cars and lap times.
“We lost a little downforce due to the strong, sometimes gusting wind, but I’m still very happy with the lap,” says Bergmeister. “In the fast sections in particular, the 911 GT3 RS is in a league of its own. Here it’s on a level usually reserved for top-class racing cars. The car is also setting new standards in braking. Fast laps on the Nordschleife are simply so much fun in this car.”
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Vice President for the 911 and 718 model lines, Frank Moser, was following the action from the pit wall: “I’m incredibly proud of what the whole team has achieved during the development and testing of the new 911 GT3 RS. Today Jörg Bergmeister brought everything together and unleashed the car’s full potential. The 911 can still surprise us and proves that the rear engine concept is still supremely suitable for high-performance sports cars.”
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