2018 Porsche 911 GT3 Aces Its Nurburgring Test

New 991.2 GT3 sets stellar lap time at Nurburgring: 7 minutes, 12.7 seconds.

Advances in tech and extra power allow new GT3 to run a Nurburgring lap 14 seconds faster than its predecessor. That’s the phenomenal technical progress that a company like Porsche can pursue. They have built a ‘regular’ GT3 that laps the famed German track in less time than Dodge’s insane Viper ACR. It’s likely that this car is even faster than its big-wing brother 991 GT3 RS (no official lap time). Aided by sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, rear-wheel steering, and a 500 horsepower naturally aspirated flat-six, this car just moved the goalposts.

The ever forward march of automotive progress means that the new 911 GT3 is only a handful of seconds slower than Porsche’s hybrid hypercar 918 Spyder. Sure, it’s not in danger of losing the title of fastest Porsche at the Nurburgring to a GT3, but whatever comes next might give it a run for its money. While the time, completed by Porsche’s test driver Lars Kern, probably isn’t indicative of what most GT3 buyers are capable of, it shows what the car can do in the right hands. And remember that this lap time was completed with a rapid-fire PDK-equipped car, so if you’re buying a GT3 with a stick, you won’t be able to claim the same time in your bench-racer bar room talks.

Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President, Motorsport and GT cars:

“The new 911 GT3 not only offers the maximum amount of driving pleasure, but with this lap time we have emphatically proven that it also delivers an impressive performance on the Nordschleife. The focus was on optimizing the drivability and adapting the car to the slight increase in engine power.“

Andreas Preuninger, Director, GT Product Line:

“A few years ago, lap times like this could only ever be achieved by thoroughbred race cars with slick tires. The new GT3 achieves this with comparatively modest power, and is still fully suitable for everyday use.“

[Source: Evo on YouTube]