If you were wondering what Porsche's fastest naturally-aspirated road-going track car was, you've just found it.
Porsche has announced that the new 383kW GT3 RS can lap the Nürburgring in 6:56.4 minutes, at least with works driver Kévin Estre behind the wheel.
The GT3 RS lap time is 24-seconds faster than the previous RS, and the third Porsche production car to break the seven minute barrier around the 20.6km track behind the 918 Spider and turbocharged 911 GT2 RS, the latter being the fastest production car to ever lap the famed circuit.
In fact, the only other road car to lap the 'Green Hell' faster is the all-wheel drive Lamborghini Huracan Performante that was just over four-seconds faster last year when it set a time last year.
Read our full Porsche 911 GT3 RS Preview
In terms of rear-wheel drive competition, the GT3 RS lap time was significantly faster than the Mercedes-AMG GT R and Camaro ZL1 1LE which both registered times in the seven-minute bracket.
At the Nürburgring, the 911 GT3 RS was equipped with the latest generation of Michelin Pilot Sport tires designed especially for track day use, with customers able to order the exact same rubber at Porsche dealers soon.
“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,” said Vice President of Porsche's Motorsport and GT division, Frank Steffen Walliser.
“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.”
Estre began the record lap at 11:40 a.m. 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. 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 RPM from a six-cylinder engine just feels fantastic. The sound is a dream and the torque is massive.”
The 911 GT3 RS has a four-litre, flat-six engine producing 383-kW. The high-performance sports car accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 312km/h.
