New 911 GT3 RS sets a lap time of 6:56.4 minutes through the ‘Green Hell’

THE Porsche 911 GT3 RS set another benchmark for road-approved sports cars at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Germany. Porsche race driver Kévin Estre set a lap time in 6:56.4 minutes with the 520-hp GT3 RS. 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 race track, known as the ‘Green Hell.’ As is customary for record drives, the time was measured around the 20.6-kilometer lap.

Frank Steffen Walliser, VP, motorsport and GT Cars, commented, “No other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS. Many innovative ideas from toplevel 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 driveability 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 has to feel like one — that’s an unbeatable strength of the GT3 RS. And what especially delights me is how much fun Lars and Kévin had when driving that car.”

The 29-year old Estre began the record lap at 11:40 a.m. in ideal conditions, with 14 degrees Celsius ambient and 18 degrees Celsius track temperature. “This lap was a sensational experience for me,” he revealed afterward. “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 roadgoing 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, 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 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the ADAC GT Masters, he races the 911 GT3 R.

The 911 GT3 RS with motorsport-bred chassis and 520-hp 4.0-liter naturally aspirated engine had its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March this year. The new highperformance sports car is based on the 911 GT3, which has been refined still further to combine the performance-enhanced engine with a running-gear setup that features recalibrated rearaxle steering designed for maximum dynamics and precision. The 911 GT3 RS accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 312 km/h.

The 4.0-liter, six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine in the new 911 GT3 RS pushes the sports car to new limits: The flat engine delivers 20hp more than the engine in the previous model and the 911 GT3. Together with a speed range reaching up to 9,000 rpm, it was the ideal choice as a thoroughbred sports engine. Combined with the specially calibrated seven-speed PDK, the high-performance engine guarantees an outstanding driving performance. Especially robust and high-performing, the engine is based on that of the 911 GT3 Cup. Also derived from the motorsport is the oil supply principle, which uses a separate engine oil tank, fully variable oil pressure pump and an additional supply of oil via the crankshaft.

Technology straight from motorsport ensures that the chassis offers exceptional driving dynamics in the new 911 GT3 RS. Ball joints on all arms provide even greater precision than conventional elastokinematic bearings. Twenty-inch lightweight wheels with newly developed 265/35 sports tires on the front axle enhance agility and steering behavior, while 21-inch wheels with 325/30 tires at the rear axle improve traction.

For the past 70 years, the Porsche brand has been synonymous with sports car construction at the very highest level. With the premiere of the 911 GT3 RS. Porsche revs into its anniversary year with much power and speed.

For more information, contact Porsche Philippines at 727-0381 to 85 or visit any Porsche showroom in Alabang, Global City, Greenhills, and SM Seaside City Cebu.