This isn’t the first time a street-legal Porsche broke a lap record on the famed Nürburgring-Norschleife, and we’re pretty sure it won’t be the last either.  Back in April of this year we reported…

Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR is the now fastest street-legal sports car on the ‘Ring

2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR
This Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR, specially tuned by Manthey-Racing, just became the fastest street-legal car to lap the Nürburgring-Norschleife at just 6:40:33. (Photo: Porsche)

This isn’t the first time a street-legal Porsche broke a lap record on the famed Nürburgring-Norschleife, and we’re pretty sure it won’t be the last either. 

Back in April of this year we reported on the amazing new Porsche 911 GT3 RS breaking the seven-minute mark with a time of 6:56.40, but on Thursday, October 25 it was the even more formidable GT2 RS MR lapping the 20.6-km (12.8-mi) circuit in a mere 6:40.33 minutes, knocking 6.95 seconds off the September 2017 lap time of the non-MR tuned GT2 RS. 

Lars Kern, the 31-year-old development engineer and race driver who first piloted the 911 GT2 RS to its now broken record, was once again at the wheel, which makes this most recent result a more accurate representation of the two cars’ performance thanks to taking some driver discrepancy out of the equation. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR
The 911 GT2 RS produces an incredible 700 hp, making it the most powerful and fastest production 911 of all time. (Photo: Porsche)

“The drive was great fun,” said Kern, who is very familiar with the ‘Ring’ due to plenty of test drivers, record runs and VLN races. “The balance of the car is also very good with the new package. I did not have to take any great risks to be fast. But I only had one attempt because it was already getting dark. It worked out first time though.” 

Both 911 GT2 RS models produce the same incredible 700 horsepower, making this model the most powerful and fastest production 911 of all time, but the MR was set up by Manthey-Racing specifically for tackling the Nürburgring-Norschleife, and the 160-plus strong motorsports team knows a lot about shaving seconds from the popular German racetrack near the Belgian border. 

“We are very proud,” said Manthey-Racing CEO Nicolas Raeder. “It was a great challenge to make the already tremendously fast Porsche 911 GT2 RS even faster.” 

Of course, conditions were dry, allowing Kern to make the most of his record lap run. Esso supplied the fuel, while the only major modification made to the car was the addition of a racing-spec driver’s seat that can be ordered from Manthey-Racing if choosing to upgrade to their GT2 RS MR club sport and track day special. According to Porsche the seat was only fitted to alleviate safety concerns, and didn’t subtract any weight from the stock GT2 RS. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR
The 911 GT2 RS MR was set up by Manthey-Racing specifically for tackling the Nürburgring-Norschleife. (Photo: Porsche)

“We kept our eye on the weather all day and thought hard about whether such a drive was possible. We would not have taken any risks if it was raining or if the track was slightly damp,” says Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Motorsport and GT Cars.  

Of note, the otherwise stock 911 GT2 RS featured Manthey-Racing’s new performance kit that includes minor chassis and aerodynamics modifications. Thanks to being set up specifically for the Nürburgring-Norschleife circuit’s characteristics, this MR-specified model became the fastest road-legal vehicle to ever lap ‘The Green Hell’ track. 

“In this test drive, we simply wanted to assess the potential of the vehicle once more,” added Walliser. “The result is quite impressive. It really is a fabulous time. This shows again very clearly the exciting possibilities of this sports car.” 

2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR
The record-setting car was driven by 31-year-old Lars Kern, who also set the previous 911 GT2 RS record last year. (Photo: Porsche/Gruppe C Photography)

The stock GT2 RS, which debuted in June 2017 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, uses a twin-turbo 3.8-litre version of Porsche’s legendary horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine to make 700 horsepower at a lofty 7,000 rpm (that’s an astonishing 184.2 horsepower per litre) and 553 lb-ft from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. 

Thanks in part to weighing just 1,470 kilograms (3,241 pounds) the rear-wheel drive GT2 RS is capable of sprinting from standstill to 100km/h in a shocking 2.8 seconds, can achieve in-gear acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h in just 1.5 seconds, and attain a top speed of 340 km/h (211.2 mph). Amazingly, this road-going production GT2 RS is capable of a very reasonable 15.4 L/100km in the city, 11.3 on the highway and 13.5 combined, important for a car that also gets used for endurance racing. 

The new Porsche 911 GT2 RS is now available from $334,000 (see all 2018 Porsche 911 pricing including the 911 GT2 RS at CarCostCanada, plus access money saving rebate info and dealer invoice pricing that could save you thousands). 

Before you go, make sure to check out our photo gallery as well as some incredible video footage of the entire record-setting lap from within the 911 GT2 RS MR cockpit:

 

New record: 911 GT2 RS MR laps the Nürburgring Norschleife in 6:40.3 minutes. (7:14):

For many automotive enthusiasts a lap around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack is a top-10 bucket list item, but for Porsche works race driver Kévin Estre it was just another day at the office. …

Porsche 911 GT3 RS breaks 7 minutes on Nürburgring Nordschleife

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The new 520-hp Porsche 911 GT3 RS just knocked 24 seconds off its predecessor’s Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time for an amazing 6:56.40 officially timed lap. (Photo: Porsche)

For many automotive enthusiasts a lap around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack is a top-10 bucket list item, but for Porsche works race driver Kévin Estre it was just another day at the office. 

No doubt an intense day, or at least an intense six minutes, fifty-six and four one-hundredth seconds, or rather 6:56.40. 

That number means the new 2019 911 GT3 RS joins an elite group of production cars capable of lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than seven minutes, while at least as importantly to Porsche and its legions of dedicated Porschephiles, this achievement signifies an impressive 24-second improvement over the previous 911 GT3 RS. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Porsche works driver Kévin Estre (right) achieved the record time, resulting from two personal attempts and two by Lars Kern, who holds the overall lap record. (Photo: Porsche)

Porsche also holds title to the current lap record, its 911 GT2 RS managing the 20.6-km (12.8-mi) racecourse in just 6:47.25 with Lars Kern at the wheel, while earlier in the same month of September 2017, Marc Lieb pushed the mid-engine plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder to a 6:57.00 result, making it the fastest hybrid-electric vehicle to ever navigate the circuit. 

That’s three Porsches in the top six, an amazing accomplishment that’s even more shocking when factoring in two of the others aren’t even production cars (both produced by British racing car constructor Radical). When measured against production cars alone, Porsche occupies three of the top four spots with Lamborghini holding the other position, its second-place Huracán LP 640-4 Performante having managed a 6:52.01 lap time in 2016. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a treacherous racetrack, but the 911’s compliant suspension and overall performance has always suited it well. (Photo: Porsche)

And how does the much-vaunted Nissan GT-R rate? A Nismo-trimmed version put up a respectable time of 7:08.68 back in 2013, but the model hasn’t been officially timed since then. Still, this makes it seventh fastest amongst production cars and 11th overall, although according to numerous reports quoting Nissan employees that took part in the event, the GT-R Nismo being used was specially tuned just for the Nürburgring Nordschleife track, featuring larger spoilers for more downforce, softer dampers to deal with the rough road surfaces, upgraded brake pads, non-stock bucket seats that decreased its weight by 50 kilos (110 lbs), and a revised ECU map. In other words, it wasn’t stock. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The Nürburgring Nordschleife spans 20.6-km, making it one of the longest racetracks currently in existence, and its pavement surface is far from smooth. (Photo: Porsche)

In case you were wondering, amongst true production cars a Dodge Viper ACR holds sixth place with a time of 7:01.30, while rounding out the top-10 is a Mercedes-AMG GT R in eighth with a 7:10.92 lap time, a Gumpert Apollo Sport in ninth at 7:11.57, and another Dodge Viper ACR in 10th at 7:12.13. Interestingly, the current 11th and 12th place positions are held by two Porsches, including a 911 GT3 at 7:12.70, and a 918 Spyder with a lap time of 7:13.00. 

The list continues with a who’s who list of sports car and supercar nameplates, from the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 to the Lexus LFA (with its Nürburgring Package), Donkervoort D8 RS, Ferrari 488 GTB, Maserati MC12, Pagani Zonda F Clubsport, and plenty of additional Porsches. To even get on this list is a job well done, but to defeat them all with multiple models is sensational. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The 911 GT3 RS’ 4.0L flat-six makes 520-hp and 346 lb-ft of torque and drives the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. (Photo: Porsche)

Available from $213,400, the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS receives a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine behind its rear wheels, producing 520 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque, which comes mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automated PDK transmission driving the rear wheels. Capable of a top track speed of 312 km/h (193 mph) and a standing start to 100km/h time of just 3.2 seconds, the big boxer engine will spin right up to 9,000 rpm. 

“No other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS,” said Frank Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars. “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.” 

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The GT3 RS is capable of a top track speed of 312 km/h and 0-100km/h time of only 3.2 seconds, while the big boxer can rev right up to 9,000 rpm. (Photo: Porsche)

Estre, who also competed for Porsche in the FIA World Endurance Championship, was joined by Porsche development driver Kern, with both drivers completing two laps for a total of four. 

“All four lap times of both drivers were below seven minutes and only tenths of a second apart,” added Andreas Preuninger, Porsche Director GT Model Line. “This proves not only the outstanding power of the GT3 RS, but also its extraordinary drivability at the limit. A perfectly composed overall system allows for highly dynamic performance even with a relatively modest engine power. For a driver, each of the car’s thousands of parts have to feel like one – that’s an unbeatable strength of the GT3 RS. And what especially delights me is how much fun Lars and Kévin had when driving that car.” 

Estre, a 29-year old who hails from France, started his record lap at 11:40 am in what Porsche says were ideal conditions of 14 degrees Celsius ambient and 18 degrees Celsius track temperature. 

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Even though the 911 GT3 RS is one of the fastest cars in the world, it’s also an easy and enjoyable car to drive daily. (Photo: Porsche)

“This lap was a sensational experience for me,” said Estre. “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 tires for road going sports cars. I like the engine of the GT3 RS a lot. Up to 9,000 revs per minute from a six-cylinder engine just feels fantastic. The sound is a dream and the torque is massive.” 

The tires Estre speaks of are Michelin Pilot Sports measuring 265/35ZR20 in front and 325/30ZR21 at the rear, and are available at every Porsche Centre, as is the new 911 GT3 RS and the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record-holding GT2 RS. 

For a closer take on all the action, check out this in-car video of the 911 GT3 RS achieving its amazing 6:56.40 lap time:

Additionally, here’s another video showing some of 911 GT3 RS’ features: