AUTONEWS

Porsche sets new Nürburgring record with manual transmission 911 GT3

Porsche has just added another record to its list at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, this time with the manual-transmission Porsche 911 GT3 (992.2).

At the controls was Jörg Bergmeister, the brand's test driver who must know the German track like the back of his hand. When the stopwatch was used, the recorded value was 6min56.294s.

This makes the Porsche 911 GT3 the first production car with a manual transmission to fall below seven minutes on the 20.832 km (13.74 miles) of the legendary German track, beating the previous record by almost 10 theoretical seconds, which was held by the Dodge Viper ACR.

We say theoretical, because the Viper's time of 7min01.3s corresponds to the old way of measuring times that considered only 20.6 km of the circuit, leaving out the 232 m of the T13 section. If this section had been considered, the Viper's time would have been around 7min05.8s. according to Porsche's accounts.

It is also worth noting that the time achieved by the 911 GT3 (992.2) with manual transmission even beat the time of the 911 GT3 (992.1) with dual-clutch automatic transmission (PDK), which achieved a time of 6min59.927s in 2022. And both used Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R semi-slicks.

The latest update to the Porsche 911 GT3 includes aerodynamic improvements inherited from the more radical GT3 RS. These include a new adjustable front spoiler and a newly designed rear diffuser.

The front suspension with overlapping triangles also underwent new adjustments, which made the front axle more precise and communicative. All this without sacrificing the emotional connection that a 911 with manual transmission continues to offer the driver.

The record-breaking car was also equipped with the Weissach Pack, which involves the addition of a carbon fiber roll cage and a shorter shifter stroke.

Manual transmission still makes sense, even on the track...This record was not just a marketing ploy. It also serves as proof that the manual gearbox continues to be effective on the track. And desired by many purists.

According to Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line, the decision to set a lap time with the manual was down to customer demand: “More and more 911 GT3 customers are opting for the six-speed manual transmission. And more and more often we are asked by these customers how fast a 911 GT3 with manual transmission would be on the Nordschleife.”

“We have now answered this question and – although we know that the variant with PDK is significantly faster – we drove our official lap time with a manual six-speed gearbox. Even without the automated, super-fast and precise gearshifts of the PDK, and with a conventional instead of electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the new 911 GT3 shaved around 3.6 seconds off the time of its predecessor with PDK.”

Of course, it can't be as fast as the PDK — we now need to know what time the 992.2 GT3 will have with the PDK — but it's proven that the more analogue sensations still give something to talk about on the track. And that not everything goes in the search for a tenth of a second.

At the same time, Porsche reinforces the positioning of the 911 GT3 as the most direct link between competition and the road.

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