Remember how Porsche told us that it doesn't care about lap times?
That's great, because cars are so much more than their posted numbers. There's the feel a car gives you and the thrill you get simply from driving a machine that wails, roars, or howls. An incredible thing happens to you when you drive a wonderful car in a glorious location.
Oh, by the way, Porsche just set a new lap time on the Nürburgring and they want you to know that the new GT3 is 12.3 seconds faster than the old version.
So numbers do matter now?
2018 Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche just set a blistering 7:12.7 lap time on the 'Ring. It sent one of its test drivers, Lars Kern, off and he managed to run around the track in that time in the new 2018 911 GT3. Though the car only gained 25 horsepower, it seems the aero tweaks have helped quite a bit in terms of keeping this GT3 pressed firmly into the tarmac.
The car used for this lighting lap was equipped with the dual-clutch gearbox, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a delightfully sticky set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. It all adds up to a car that's clearly incredibly fast and offers a healthy improvement over the outgoing model. That car was certainly no slouch itself, but it can't hold 12.3 candles to the new one.
For the curious among us, Porsche created a video of the lap, complete with some telemetry, including engine speed, current gear, and kph. Watch the video above to see one of the fastest Nürburgring laps you will ever witness.
Note, however, when it comes to rear-wheel-drive cars at the 'Ring, the crown still goes to Mercedes-AMG whose GT R sports car managed an insane 7:10.92 time.
