All-new Porsche 911 GT3 almost a minute faster around Nürburgring Nordschleife vs. predecessor

MANILA: Porsche has officially launched the latest iteration of the 911 GT3, which was engineered based on the development work of motorsport legends Walter Rohrl and Jorg Bergmeister, who provided expert analyses of the high-performance race car for the road.

Bergmeister, together with factory driver Lars Kern, propelled the new Porsche 911 GT3 around the Nurburging circuit’s infamous 10.8-kilometer Nordschleife during the final stages of the car’s development. Kern set the best time among several consistently fast laps, clocking in at 6:59.927 minutes — about a minute faster that the time set by the previous-generation model.

“A world of difference,” noted Rohrl.

In 1999, Rohrl drove the first Porsche 911 GT3 on the same track, achieving a time of 7:56.33 minutes.

“We never would have thought that a series production car could lay down a sub-eight-minute lap on the Nordschleife,” Rohrl stated.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 is integrated with more racing technology than any previous 911 model. Some of these technologies include the configuration of the double wishbone front suspension, as well as the swan-neck rea wing and diffuser that improve the car’s aerodynamics. Also featured are components taken from the Le Mans-winning Porsche 911 RSR race car.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter, six-cylinder boxer engine that churns out 510hp at 8,400 rpm. It is derived from the racing engine in the Porsche 911 GT3 R and is used practically unaltered in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. It is mated to a PDK transmission which enables the engine to accelerate from a standstill to 100kph in just 3.4 seconds and to a top speed of 318kph. A six-speed manual transmission is also available for the new Porsche 911 GT3.

“Over 20 years’ worth of advancements developed for the GT racing cars were adopted in the road car,” Rohrl said. “Balance is the key to driving fast, and I’ve been a weight reduction fanatic all my life. When I learned that the new GT3 — which is much larger and much more capable — essentially weighs just around 70 kilos more than the first GT3, I can only doff my hat to a masterpiece of technology.”

Racing-derived components such as the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic hood, unique glass windows, optimized brake rotors, and forged alloy wheels contribute to the new Porsche 911 GT3’s low weight. The lightweight sport exhaust system reduces the weight by 10 kg. As a result of all of this, the car only weights 1,435 kg. There are additional lightweight components available, such as the exposed carbon fiber roof.

Without a doubt, the new Porsche 911 GT3 is a race car that has been converted into a series production sports car.

Photos from Porsche

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