The Nurburgring Nordschleife can mean very different things to those in the automotive space. While many automakers use the infamous lane for validation tests, others see it as a battleground for lap records. As such, Porsche recently published a video on board its latest 911 GT3 shooting around the Green Inferno.
Sitting behind the wheel is Porsche test driver Lars Kern, and that’s a good thing. If you didn’t think he already had the petrolhead’s dream job, think again, because he also runs a Porsche 911 GT3R in the American IMSA endurance racing series with Pfaff.
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Semantics aside, we knew that the latest GT3 would be fast, but we didn’t expect this level of performance. For the uninitiated, he completed a lap in just under seven minutes – 6: 59,927 to be exact. This may sound like a mess of numbers, but to offer a perspective that is around 12 seconds faster than the previous generation GT3 and 6 seconds faster than the RS model.
In terms of lap, Lars is, unsurprisingly, brilliant at the wheel. We often talk about how much time is left at the table with reference laps like these, but it is clear that Mr. Kern knows nothing other than driving non-stop anywhere; their commitment through high-speed sections like Flugplatz and Döttinger Höhe show the fact that racing drivers are really a different race.
Of course, the GT3 is not as fast as its brother GT2 RS, but that is not what it is about. Instead of full power, the middle machine has always been concerned with offering a sparkling experience behind the wheel, and the latest example is clearly no exception.