Porsche is quite familiar with the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The company’s machines have set multiple records around the iconic racecourse, and the automaker has been using it as a development test track for years. The latest feather in the firm’s cap is achieving a new quickest time for a production model with a manual transmission around the track.
A Porsche 911 GT3 with the manual gearbox hustled around the Nordschleife in an impressive 6:56.294 minutes. The car beat the previous record by an impressive 9.5 seconds and was 3.633 seconds quicker than the previous-generation GT3 with a dual-clutch gearbox. For context, any time below seven minutes is impressively quick by modern standards. As a further example of how impressive the new time was, a Carrera GT with fresh tires covered the course in 7:12.69 in 2024.
The Record
Porsche tapped its master driver Jörg Bergmeister to drive the GT3 for the record attempt. His resume includes five class championships in the American Le Mans Series and class wins at Le Mans in 2004 and 2019. The car he was driving for this run had the optional Weissach Package.
“More and more customers of the 911 GT3 are opting for the six-speed manual transmission. And more and more often we are asked by these customers how fast a 911 GT3 with manual transmission would be on the Nordschleife”
– Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Cars
Porsche 911 GT3 Specs
The current 911 GT3 starts at $224,750 in the United States after the $2,250 delivery fee. The table below highlights its specs:
|
Specification |
Porsche 911 GT3 |
|
Engine |
4.0-liter Flat-Six |
|
Horsepower |
502 HP |
|
Redline |
9,000 RPM |
|
Torque |
331 LB-FT |
|
0-60 MPH |
3.2 Seconds With PDK / 3.7 Seconds With Six-Speed Manual |
|
Top Speed |
193 MPH With PDK / 194 MPH With Six-Speed Manual |
|
Weight |
3,278 Pounds With PDK / 3,243 Pounds With Six-Speed Manual |
The Weissach Package adds $19,330 to the price of the GT3. It includes:
- Carbon-Fiber Hood Lid, Roof, And Rear Wing In The Exterior Color And An Exposed Carbon-Fiber Stripe
- Rear Wing Sideplates In High Gloss Carbon Fiber
- Side Mirror Trim In High Gloss Carbon Fiber
- Front Fascia Airblades In High Gloss Carbon Fiber
- Door Panels With Exposed Satin Carbon Fiber
- Upper Dashboard In Black Race-Tex
- Weissach Package Logo On Passenger Side Dashboard And Seat Headrests
- Rear Anti-Roll Bar In Carbon Fiber
- Coupling Rods And Underbody Panel On Rear Axle In Carbon Fiber
- Shortened GT-specific Gear Lever For Six-Speed Manual
- Forged Magnesium Wheels
TopSpeed’s Take
In an era where manual gearboxes are becoming increasingly rare, even in sports cars, Porsche is sticking with them. Ferrari is also getting the message because the brand is realizing that performance is reaching a plateau. Making people shift for themselves is one way to make them more engaged in the driving experience. Even if only a handful of customers opt for the manual, these are the folks looking for excitement from their machine.
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