Less than two months after the all-new
Porsche 911 GT3 RS made its debut at the
2018 Geneva International Motor Show, the track-ready German supercar has been clocked lapping the famed Nurburgring Nordscleife Circuit at
six minutes, 56.4 seconds.
Behind the wheel during the run was Porsche works race driver
Kevin Estre, setting a lap with the 520-hp vehicle that was
24 seconds faster than previous GT3 RS model around the same track. This makes the 911 GT3 RS the third Porsche model to go under the track's seven-minute mark after the 918 Spyder (six minutes, 57 seconds) and the 911 GT2 RS (six minutes, 47.25 seconds).
Estre has been a Porsche works driver since 2016 and competes with the
Porsche 911 RSR in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that includes the Le Mans 24-Hours, and the ADAC GT Masters in a
Porsche 911 GT3 R.
"This lap was a sensational experience for me," Estre shared after setting the time. "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."
For the run, the 911 GT3 RS was equipped with the latest-generation Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Optimized especially for track-day use, the
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is fully compliant with relevant EU and US law and can soon be ordered at every Porsche Center and selected dealers or tire fitters. Its approved fitments include the 911 GT3 RS and 911 GT2 RS.
The 911 GT3 RS is powered by a 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated engine that can propel the car from zero to 100 kph in
3.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of
312 kph.
"No other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS," said Porsche AG Vice President for Motorsport and GT Cars
Frank Steffen Walliser. "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."
Watch the run in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65jW-FVAd2o
