Click to enlarge.
The Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest production car with a manual transmission on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, according to Porsche. Further development of all performance-relevant components, the manual 911 GT3 with a Weissach package was 3.633 seconds faster at 6:56.294 minutes than the predecessor (992.1) with a seven-speed.
“More and more 911 GT3 customers are opting for the six-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,” said Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line. “We have now answered this question and – although we know that the variant with PDK seven-speed is significantly faster – we drove our official lap time with a manual six-speed gearbox. 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 ~3.6 seconds off the time of its predecessor with PDK.”
On a sunny late afternoon, with an ambient temperature of 12 degrees and a track temperature of 27 degrees, Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister drove <click for video) the 20.832-kilometer track in the 375 kW (510 hp) 911 GT3 with Weissach package. As with the official lap of the previous model, the car was fitted with road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tires (255/35 R20 at the front and 315/30 R21 at the rear).
“The new 911 GT3 inspires even more confidence at the limit than the previous model. I was faster in almost every corner,” said Bergmeister. “We learned a lot from the 911 GT3 RS, especially with the chassis. The car is much more stable on bumps and over the curbs. And thanks to the 8% shorter gear ratio, there is noticeably more drive from the rear axle when accelerating with the same engine power. Even if it would have been a few seconds faster with the seven-speed PDK – with the six-speed manual gearbox definitely had more to do on the fast lap – and it was therefore even more fun.”
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About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Porsche 911 GT3 – Sets Nordschleife Record
Click to enlarge.
The Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest production car with a manual transmission on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, according to Porsche. Further development of all performance-relevant components, the manual 911 GT3 with a Weissach package was 3.633 seconds faster at 6:56.294 minutes than the predecessor (992.1) with a seven-speed.
“More and more 911 GT3 customers are opting for the six-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,” said Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line. “We have now answered this question and – although we know that the variant with PDK seven-speed is significantly faster – we drove our official lap time with a manual six-speed gearbox. 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 ~3.6 seconds off the time of its predecessor with PDK.”
On a sunny late afternoon, with an ambient temperature of 12 degrees and a track temperature of 27 degrees, Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister drove <click for video) the 20.832-kilometer track in the 375 kW (510 hp) 911 GT3 with Weissach package. As with the official lap of the previous model, the car was fitted with road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tires (255/35 R20 at the front and 315/30 R21 at the rear).
“The new 911 GT3 inspires even more confidence at the limit than the previous model. I was faster in almost every corner,” said Bergmeister. “We learned a lot from the 911 GT3 RS, especially with the chassis. The car is much more stable on bumps and over the curbs. And thanks to the 8% shorter gear ratio, there is noticeably more drive from the rear axle when accelerating with the same engine power. Even if it would have been a few seconds faster with the seven-speed PDK – with the six-speed manual gearbox definitely had more to do on the fast lap – and it was therefore even more fun.”
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.