The recent facelift to Porsche's 997 Turbo
seems to have paid dividends, at least as far as track pace is concerned. The car has recorded a lap time of seven minutes 39 seconds, a full 10 seconds faster than the previous version.
Having an extra 20bhp at its disposal will certainly have helped, achieved by boring out the engine by 200cc to 3.8-litres. The 500bhp and 516lb ft of torque on tap are also now sent through a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch 'box, which is a full 25kg lighter than the previous tiptronic auto.
Despite these significant improvements, the 'boggo' Nissan GT-R's best recorded lap time is still 13 seconds faster than the new 911 Turbo at 7:26. But 'Ring times are not an exact science, and things can change. When the GT-R came out, the best known time was 7:38, and it took many more attempts to get the stunning time eventually achieved, so with time the Porsche may be pushed that bit further too.
Considering that the new Porsche still costs nearly twice as much as the humble Nissan, Porsche's PR team will certainly be hoping so...
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