6:56.294 minutes! That is how fast the new Porsche 911 GT3 speeds around the Nordschleife

The new Porsche 911 GT3 with Weissach package and manual 6-speed transmission has once again set a record on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. On an official lap of the entire 20.832 km track, the clock stopped at an impressive 6:56.294 minutes, as certified by a notary. Powered by a 375 kW (510 PS) high-revving naturally aspirated engine and equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tyres (255/35 R20 at the front and 315/30 R21 at the rear), the GT3 demonstrated its performance under optimum conditions – 12 °C outside temperature and 27 °C track temperature. With this number, Porsche impressively underlines that a manual handled GT3 is also among the fastest in its class. The new model benefits from numerous technical enhancements that significantly increase its performance. The revised suspension (inspired by the GT3 RS) provides more stability on bumps and curbs, while a conventional limited-slip differential supports precise handling. Thanks to an eight percent shorter gear ratio, significantly more power is available at the rear axle when accelerating. “More and more 911 GT3 customers are opting for the 6-speed manual transmission. And more and more often we are asked by these customers how fast a 911 GT3 with manual transmission would be on the Nordschleife,” says Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line. “Even without the automated, super-fast and precise gearshifts of the PDK, and with a conventional instead of electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the new 911 GT3 shaved around 3.6 s off the time of its predecessor with PDK.”

With this best time, the new Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest production car with manual transmission ever to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It not only undercuts its own predecessor (992.1 with PDK) by 3.633 s but also leaves the competition behind by over 9.5 s. Even in a direct comparison with the best competitor, whose time over the full length of the track is around 7:05.800 min, the new GT3 takes the lead with aplomb.

This lap of honor was completed by Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister. He is one of the most successful Porsche works drivers in history. After his first title in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany in 2000, he went on to win all the major endurance races – from Le Mans to Daytona. Particularly legendary: his double victory in 2006 in the American Le Mans and Grand-Am Series. Today, the 2019 world champion passes on his expertise as a test driver and 911 expert. “The new 911 GT3 inspires even more confidence at the limit than the previous model. I was faster in almost every corner,” says Bergmeister, describing the handling of the sports car. He admits that he definitely had more to do on the fast lap with the 6-speed manual gearbox “and therefore even more fun.”