Porsche now has three models that have lapped Germany’s famous Nurburgring in under seven minutes.
Following the 918 Spyder and 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 “Green Hell.”
Porsche Works race driver Kévin Estre recently set a lap time of 6:56.4 minutes for the 20.6km circuit with the 383kW 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 shared driving duties with Estre.
Estre began the record lap at 11:40am in ideal conditions, with 14 degree Celsius ambient and 18 degree Celsius track temperatures.
“This lap was a sensational experience for me,” he said.
“Through the fast corners and on the brakes in particular, the GT3 RS is unbelievably close to our racing GT3 R.
“I like the engine of the GT3 RS a lot. Up to 9000rpm from a six-cylinder engine just feels fantastic. The sound is a dream and the torque is massive.”
Estre joined the team of Porsche Works drivers in 2016.
He competes with the Porsche 911 RSR in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that includes the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In the ADAC GT Masters he races the 911 GT3 R.
The 911 GT3 RS with a motorsport-bred chassis and 383kW 4.0-litre naturally aspirated engine had its world premiere this year at the Geneva Motor Show in early March.
The high-performance sports car accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3.0 seconds and reaches a top track speed of 310km/h.
Vice President Motorsport and GT, Frank Steffen Walliser, said no other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS.
“Many innovative ideas from top-level motorsport were transferred, for example, from the 911 GT3 R.
“This is what our philosophy for GT models is about: highest technology must be fascinating but tangible.
“In this regard, there is no harder test for our ideas than the Nordschleife.”
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