Stuttgart. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS set another benchmark for road-approved sports cars at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Germany: Porsche works race driver Kévin Estre set a lap time in 6:56.4 minutes with the 520-hp GT3 RS, this Monday, April 16. The Frenchman’s lap time was 24 seconds faster than the best time achieved with the previous GT3 RS model. Porsche development driver Lars Kern was sharing driving duties with Estre. Following the 918 Spyder and the 911 GT2 RS, the new GT3 RS is the third production Porsche sports car with a notarized lap time of less than seven minutes on the world’s most demanding racetrack, known as the ‘Green Hell’. As is customary for record drives, the time was measured around the 20.6-kilometre lap.
Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars, commented: “No other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS. Many innovative ideas from top-level motorsport were transferred; for example, from the 911 GT3 R. This is what our philosophy for GT models is about: Highest technology must be fascinating but tangible. In this regard there is no harder test for our ideas than the Nordschleife.”
Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line, added; “All four lap times of both drivers were below seven minutes and only tenths of a second apart. This proves not only the outstanding power of the GT3 RS, but also its extraordinary drivability at the limit. A perfectly composed overall system allows for highly dynamic performance even with a relatively modest engine power. For a driver, each of the car’s thousands of parts have to feel like one – that is an unbeatable strength of the GT3 RS. And what especially delights me is how much fun Lars and Kévin had when driving that car.”
29-year old Estre began the record lap at 11:40 am in ideal conditions, with 14 degrees Celsius ambient and 18 degrees Celsius track temperature. “This lap was a sensational experience for me”, he revealed afterwards. “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 tires for road-going sports cars. I like the engine of the GT3 RS a lot. Up to 9,000 revs per minute from a six-cylinder engine just feels fantastic. The sound is a dream and the torque is massive.”
Since 2016 Kévin Estre belongs to the squad of Porsche works drivers. He competes with the Porsche 911 RSR in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that includes the Le Mans 24 Hours. In the ADAC GT Masters he races the 911 GT3 R.
At the Nürburgring the 911 GT3 RS was equipped with the latest generation of Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Optimized especially for track day use, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is fully compliant with relevant EU and US law. The tire (265/35 ZR 20 front and 325/30 ZR 21 rear) can soon be ordered at every Porsche Center and selected dealers or tire fitters. Its approved fitments include 911 GT3 RS and 911 GT2 RS.
The 911 GT3 RS with motorsport-bred chassis and 520-hp (383-kW), four-liter, high-speed naturally aspirated engine had its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March this year. The high-performance sports car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 312 km/h.
The new 911 GT3 RS will be launched in Latin America and the Caribbean in the last quarter of 2018. For pricing information and detailed equipment, please contact your local Porsche representative.
Note: Image material in the Porsche Newsroom (http://newsroom.porsche.com/en) and in the Porsche press database (https://press.pla.porsche.com).
