The lap times at the Nürburgring became confusing. In the past, the published times did not reflect the entire circuit, with the starting line defined at the end of the T13 straight and the end at 0.12 miles before what. Recently, ‘Ring instituted an official lap timing methodology and a certification process that measures time across the circuit, which effectively extended the lap. With this protocol, the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 returns to Nordschleife in 6: 59.927; under the old method, he did a 6: 55.2, which provides a lot more context for his performance.
This shows that the new 992 GT3 is faster around the ‘Ring than the 918 Spyder and the old 991.2 GT3 RS, which, based on the old timing method, set 6:57 and 6: 56.04, respectively. Figure 6: 55.2 also shows how much faster this new GT3 is than its predecessor 991.2, which ran at 7: 12.7 in 2017.
So, how is the new GT3 17 seconds faster than the old one? This is a monstrous improvement for a car with almost identical weight values of 502 hp and 3164 pounds. For starters, the 992 GT3 has much more grip, both aerodynamic and mechanical, than its predecessor. With its divider, front and rear diffusers and wing, all configured to their highest downforce configuration, the new GT3 is capable of generating a maximum of 854 pounds of downforce. A Porsche spokesman told us that this is almost equal to the amount of downforce generated by the old GT3 RS, and much more than the old GT3, which could generate up to 342 pounds.
The front and rear tires on this new GT3 are also 10 mm wider than before, and the width of the front track has increased by an additional 1.9 inches, increasing the lateral grip significantly. And Porsche has an ace up its sleeve – Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. These tires – which carry a Porsche N0 specification and are available as an option in the new GT3 – are much more adherent than the standard Cup 2 with which the car comes. Porsche GT car chief Andreas Preuninger told the media he estimated that five seconds of lap time came from tires alone. The Cup 2 R is apparently perfect for setting Nürburgring lap times, as this is what the 991 GT2 RS and GT3 RS used in their laps of less than 7 minutes, as well as the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series holding the record for production. It is worth noting that the Porsche 918 Spyder used the regular Cup 2s in his lap time. If Michelin made a Cup 2 R for the 918 Spyder, it could take a spin on the ‘Ring faster than this new GT3.
Porsche
This new GT3 also has a first 911 road car – a double-wishbone front suspension, derived from the 911 RSR race car. Porsche says this increases stability and cornering accuracy compared to the McPherson bracket configuration previously used in the previous GT3.
Furthermore, one cannot forget the force of nature that is Porsche’s factory tester, Lars Kern, whose dominance of the Nürburgring plays an important role in defining lap times like this.
When you consider all this, it is no shock that the new GT3 is faster on the Nürburgring than the old GT3 RS. Still, it wasn’t that long ago that the 918 surprised us for being the first car to go sub-7 in the ‘Ring, and it’s a little hard to imagine that a GT3 could beat it. But this is progress for you.
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