Nissan’s new GT-R supercar has proven how beneficial a quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox can be at shattering race track lap times, posting a blistering 7m 29s lap time for the Nurburgring Nordschleife and beating most other supercars on the planet including Porsche’s 911 Turbo and even the GT2. However, Porsche has now added its own dual-clutch gearbox to the iconic 911 and although it’s only fitted in the Carrera and Carrera S models the new ‘box is already showing some promising results.

The sports carmaker has now released performance numbers for its new 911 range fitted with the ‘PDK’ dual-clutch gearbox, reports Edmunds. The 380hp (283kW) Carrera S fitted with the PDK and PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) system posted a fastest lap time for the Nurburgring of 7m 50s – a full 8 seconds faster than the Carrera S with a manual gearbox. Porsche also posted times for the pre-facelift 911 Carrera S, which was 12 seconds behind the new PDK-equipped car but its output is a lower 355hp (265kW).

According to Porsche, the new PDK shifts gears 60% faster than the former Tiptronic S automatic and offers a small improvement in fuel economy over both the auto and manual gearboxes.

2009 Porsche 911 facelift