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Stop what you’re doing. Porsche has posted a 'Ring time for the new 911 GT3, and it’s quick. 7 minutes and 12.7 seconds, set by Porsche test driver Lars Kern in a "standard trim" car equipped with the PDK 'box, Michelin Pilot Sport 2s, and optional rear-wheel steering.
That storming time equates to a 12.3-second gain over its GT3 predecessor around the circuit, which is some considerable margin. We’re told on the day, the air temperature was eight degrees, while the track itself was 14 degrees. It was the 'ideal' conditions for Kern to go full throttle.
"A few years ago," explains Andreas Preuninger, Porsche’s GT boss, "lap times like this could only ever be achieved by thoroughbred racing cars with slick tires. The new GT3 can now achieve this with comparatively modest power, but is still fully suited to everyday use."
The engine is the only major difference between this new GT3 and the car it replaces—the 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated flat-six gives that higher redline and 24 more hp.
"If you can drive fast on the Nordschleife," Frank-Steffan Walliser, Porsche’s VP of Motorsport said, "you can drive fast anywhere in the world."
Hit play on the video above for the full, blood-curdling run. The noise that 4.0-liter makes at the very top end is quite intense.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
