Porsche 911 GT3 RS joins sub-7:00 Nurburgring club

The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 RS – the more powerful naturally-aspirated 911 ever – has become the third Porsche production model to crack the seven-minute mark at Germany’s famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife road circuit.

Set by Porsche works race driver, 29-year-old Frenchman Kévin Estre, on Monday (April 16), the cracking 6:56.4 lap time is a whole 24 seconds than the previous 911 GT3 RS.

It also puts the GT3 RS -- the last of 991-series 911 model to be released before the new 992 generation arrives next year – in the hallowed company of the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS and limited-edition 918 Spyder.

Released in 2013, the mega-buck 918 was the first production car to lap the 20.6km Nurburgring in under seven minutes (6:57), smashing the previous record by 14 seconds in 2015.

Its record was then lowered to 6:52 by the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, before the 911 GT2 RS reclaimed the title for Porsche in September last year with an astonishing 6:47.3 lap time.

“This lap was a sensational experience for me,” said Estre after his fastest lap, which was recorded at 11:40am in ideal conditions – with air temperature at 14C and track temperature at 18C.

“Through the fast corners and on the brakes in particular, the GT3 RS is unbelievably close to our racing car GT3 R. This is also thanks to the new generation of tyres for road going sports cars.

“I like the engine of the GT3 RS a lot. Up to 9000 revs per minute from a six-cylinder engine just feels fantastic. The sound is a dream and the torque is massive.”

As with the GT2, the GT3 RS recorded its time around the world’s most demanding race track on the latest generation of Michelin Pilot Sport tyres.

In this case they were a new track-focussed Cup 2 R version that will soon be available for the 911 GT2 and GT3 RS, both of which share their huge 265/35 ZR20 front and 325/30 ZR21 rear dimensions.

Both of Porsche’s hard-core motorsport-oriented RS models are also rear-wheel drive, but while the GT2 runs a mad 515kW twin-turbo 3.8-litre flat six, making it the most powerful street-legal 911 ever, the GT3 packs a 383kW 4.0-litre atmo boxer.

Sold out before it arrived Down Under last month -- despite costing a cool $645,400 plus on-road costs -- the GT2 RS is claimed to hit 100km/h in 2.8 seconds, while the GT3 RS is slower at 3.2sec but will set buyers back ‘just’ $416,500 when first local deliveries start in October.