Lapping the Nurburgring Nordschleife is a rite of passage for every new sports car, especially if it’s German. So the new 2018 Porsche 911 GT3, before anything else, was dispatched to the Green Hell and it passed the first with flying color as it bettered the time of its predecessor by 12.3 seconds. The new GT3’s Nubrurgring lap time is 7 minutes and 12.7 seconds.

The main features of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 which enabled it to accomplish this impressive feat include a 368-kW (500-hp), high-rev, naturally aspirated engine, rear-axle steering, a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Michelin Sport Cup 2 N1 tyres.

“By achieving this time, we have emphatically proven that the new 911 GT3 not only provides the best driving experience, but can also deliver an impressive performance on the Nordschleife. The focus was on optimising the driving quality and adapting to the slight increase in engine power”, says a delighted Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT cars at Porsche. “A few years ago, lap times like this could only ever be achieved by thoroughbred racing cars with slick tyres”, adds Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Product Line. “The new GT3 can now achieve this with comparatively modest power, but is still fully suited to everyday use.”