911 GT3 RS goes sub 7 minutes
Porsche takes its very green 911 to the Green Hell and returns with an outrageous lap - watch it here!
Say what you will about those buy-and-sell cars like the GT3 RS, there's no denying the ability of the product. Appropriately enough, Porsche has wasted no time in proving that point with the latest Rennsport 911, taking the car to the Nurburgring and handing it to factory racer Kevin Estre.
The result is a sensational Nordschleife lap of 6:56.4, 24 seconds faster than the old GT3 RS, which really is remarkable when it only boasts another 20hp. That of course also means it's gone quicker than the 918 Spyder, which is perhaps even more notable. It's said, too, that all four laps set by both Estre and Lars Kern were less than seven minutes, so this wasn't a fluke either.
Estre described the car as "unbelievably close to our racing car GT3 R", while Andreas Preuninger said it was the car's "perfectly composed overall system" that allowed "highly dynamic performance even with a relatively modest engine power."
It's easy to become a bit blasé about manufacturer Nurburgring lap times, but there can be no denying that Estre is really, really on it for this lap. See, just as an example, the run into Adenauer Forst and the quite large application of opposite lock whilst on the brakes. Note too just how much of the time is spent beyond 7,500rpm, flat six howling and the track disappearing beneath the wheels. Well if peak power is 8,250rpm, then it makes sense to stay up there...
So set aside a bit of time this fine Friday morning and watch an incredible sportscar driver at work - it really is worth ever second.
Joking aside, its the consistency (which is the sign of a great driver) over 4 laps all under 7 minutes that impresses me and that its within 10 seconds of the GT2RS & 180hp down on power.
To answer your question though, yes, i still believe it to be analogue, especially when it's mated to the remainder of the recipe that this Porsche offers. It still remains very raw, sharp and focused. The manual flappy-paddle mode also gives you some kind of involvement, albeit not quite the same as a proper manual. The obvious counter to that is the above point.
Either way, the GT3 RS really is the daddy! Lottery numbers, please come up
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