New 911 GT3 RS set another benchmark around Nürburgring

On 16 April, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS set another benchmark for road-approved sports cars at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Germany. Porsche works race driver Kévin Estre set a lap time in 6:56.4 minutes with the 520-hp GT3 RS. The Frenchman’s lap time was 24 seconds faster than the best time achieved with the previous GT3 RS model. Porsche development driver Lars Kern was sharing driving duties with Estre. Following the 918 Spyder and the 911 GT2 RS, the new GT3 RS is the third production Porsche sports car with a notarised lap time of less than seven minutes on the famous race track. As is customary for record drives, the time was measured around the 20.6-kilometre lap.

Frank Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars, commented: “No other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS. Many innovative ideas from top-level motorsport were transferred to this car, for example, from the 911 GT3 R. This is what our philosophy for GT models is about.”

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Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line, added: “All four lap times of both drivers were below seven minutes and only tenths of a second apart. This proves not only the outstanding power of the GT3 RS, but also its extraordinary driveability at the limit.”

29-year old Estre began the record lap at 11:40 am in ideal conditions, with 14 degree Celsius ambient and 18-degree Celsius track temperature. “This lap was a sensational experience for me,” he revealed afterwards. “Through the fast corners and on the brakes in particular, the GT3 RS is unbelievably close to our racing car GT3 R. This is also thanks to the new generation of tyres for road going sports cars. I like the engine of the GT3 RS a lot, up to 9000 revs per minute from a six-cylinder engine just feels fantastic, and the torque is massive.”

The 911 GT3 RS, which had its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 312 km/h. At the Nürburgring the 911 GT3 RS was equipped with the latest generation of Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. The GT3 RS offers a combined fuel consumption 12.8 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of 291 g/km.

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Prices for the 911 GT3 RS start at €195,137 in Germany, including VAT and country-specific equipment.

Edited by: Glen Smale
Images by: Porsche Werkfoto