Porsche’s GT3 sets new fastest time for production car with manual gearbox at the Nurburgring

Porsche has set a new fastest time around the Nurburgring Nordschleife for a production car with a manual gearbox in its new GT3.

With Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister behind the wheel, the GT3 managed to get around the famous ‘Green Hell’ in 6:56.294 minutes, eclipsing the previous lap record by more than 9.5 seconds. The previous lap record was held by a Dodge Viper ACR, set in September 2017.

In addition, the new lap record saw the manual gearbox GT3 get around the circuit around 3.6 seconds faster than the previous model equipped with a PDK automatic transmission.

Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line, said: “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.

“We have now answered this question and – alt- hough we know that the variant with PDK 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 around 3.6 seconds off the time of its predecessor with PDK.”

Bergmeister completed the 20.832-kilometre (12.9 miles) track with the GT3 wearing road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tyres. No other modifications were made to the car.