We’re at a point in time in which performance cars are faster and more efficient than ever before, and even still, manufacturers’ rates of development from one iteration of a model to the next is higher than ever. Case and point: the 2017 Porsche 911 GT3.
Porsche announced Thursday the new 911 GT3 can lap the Nurburgring in 7:12.7, which in and of itself is impressive, as it puts the GT3 among the top-10 fastest production cars to set a time around the Nordschleife. However, when you consider the lap time set by its predecessor, the new car’s pace really is put into perspective.
The previous-generation 911 GT3 lapped the 12.9-mile circuit in 7:25 even, a whole 12.3 seconds slower. With an improvement of nearly 1 second per lap, Porsche really raised the bar with the new GT3.
“A few years ago, lap times like this could only ever be achieved by thoroughbred racing cars with slick tires,” Andreas Preuninger, director of Porsche’s GT product line, said in a statement. “The new GT3 can now achieve this with comparatively modest power, but is still fully suited to everyday use.”
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A sub-7-minute Nurburgring lap time currently is something only hypercars or track-focused versions of mid-engine supercars can acheive. But if Porsche’s massive gains over just one iteration of a car are evidence, sports cars might soon be approaching the 7-minute mark.
Thumbnail photo via Porsche
