Number crunching with Porsche’s new 911 GT3.

The hallowed proving ground in the automotive industry has always and will continue to be the Nurburgring Nordschleife, better known as the Green Hell for those who can’t correctly pronounce anything German. While the track is steeped in dozens of interesting numbers, competing automotive brands always want to achieve the lowest when it comes to doing a lap in their cars… and Porsche has achieved just that in their new model to sport the GT3 nameplate with a sub 7 minute figure. 

Porsche finally revealed the next generation 992 911 GT3 on February 16th, bringing the wait for the most exciting new 911 derivative to an end. It did so in incredible style as the same car also underwent its development around the Green Hell and managed to trounce the previous generations time. For context, Lars Kern – Porsche’s number 1 test driver completed the 20.8 km lap of the famous circuit in 6:59:927 minutes, beating the previous version by a massive 17 seconds. With its 9000rpm redline, it surely completed this lap to the aural satisfaction of anyone that was close enough to hear it. 

About the car: with the same flat-six four liter boxer engine and drivetrain of that in the seasoned endurance racer, the 911 GT3 R, there is no doubt the 375Kw engine should be able to consistently put down reliable consistent power wherever it goes. Other aspects of the GT racer exist in the form of a double wishbone front axle layout, functional diffusers and a swan neck rear wing. While it may not be as fast off the line as the Turbo S, the GT3 still manages a 0-100 time in 3.4 seconds and will continue up to 318km/h (or 320km/h in the manual box). Remember, this car is all about the downforce and handling. with a four-stage adjustable splitter at the front rear wing with an equal number of adjustments at the back. For the purists, it is also offered in a 6 speed manual gearbox and mechanical diff too, which translates to 17kg lighter than the models with the 7 speed PDK transmission and electronic diff.

South Africa can expect to receive the latest GT3 derivative in Q4 of 2021. Pricing will be confirmed closer to the time of its local release. This is a car that we can’t wait to drive! 

Watch Porsches official onboard footage of Lars Kern piloting an initial sub 7 minute lap in the GT3 around the Green Hell here.