The new 911 GT3 is being hailed as the best sportscar around as of now and not without a reason. The new GT3 gets a 4.0-liter H6 engine with 500 horsepower and it’s naturally aspirated. Porsche also claims that the GT3's motor is very, very similar to the one found in its racing cars. The car also gets rear-axle steering, so when you're going slowly the rear wheels will turn the opposite way to the fronts for better maneuvering. At higher speeds, they turn the same way, allowing you to take a better line.
The Nurburgring has been pretty much the best proving ground since ages to prove a cars performance and handling thanks to its difficult conditions. Porsche with its new GT3 has just gone 12.3 seconds faster than its predecessor and this despite the new car making just 25bhp more and weighing almost the same. So what kind of magic did Porsche use? Credit actually goes to the significant aero tweaks Porsche made between the old GT3 and the current model.
The 911 GT3 that set this Nurburgring lap was equipped with the standard PDK transmission (a manual is optional), rear-axle steering, optional carbon ceramic brakes, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The blistering time was set by Lars Kern, a Porsche test driver. At 7:12.7, the new GT3 is blisteringly quick, but it’s not the quickest Porsche to lap the Ring. That honor goes to the 887bhp 918 Spyder, which famously ran a 6:57 to hold the production car world record until recently.
