A new record for Porsche through sheer strength
This page is translated from the original post "Un nouveau record pour Porsche à la force du poignet" in French.
- 27/04/2025 11:08
Porsche continues to invest in the manual gearbox, with a new demonstration of expertise on the Nordschleife.
At a time when everything is sanitized, automated, dehumanized, anyone who has driven a Porsche will affirm without hesitation: this company has the best mechanical transmissions in the world. Speed, guidance, precision, reliability, effort to be committed, everything borders on perfection. But while the share of manual gearboxes disappears a little more each day, the Zuffenhausen manufacturer does not turn away from its first loves. And as a renewal of wedding vows, a 911 GT3 was sent to the Nürburgring Nordschleife (20.8 km) to reclaim a record that was taken from it by the Dodge Viper ACR (V10 8.4 liters, 645 horsepower, and 814 Nm of torque) in 2017. That of the fastest production car with a manual transmission.
With great measures for great needs, the legendary driver Jörg Bergmeister, now brand ambassador since retiring from motorsport in 2019, was requisitioned. Result: with the 510 horsepower of his 4.0-liter flat-six, he set a time 9.5 seconds faster than the previous record. The stopwatch stopped at 6’56”294, that is 3.6 seconds better than the previous Porsche 911 type 992.1 equipped with the ultra-fast and intelligent PDK dual-clutch robotic transmission! It’s safe to say that a future record attempt isn’t long in coming with the ultimate evolution of this gearbox…
Existential Question
“More and more often, we are asked: “How fast can a 911 GT3 with a manual gearbox go around the Nordschleife?”, explains Andreas Preuninger, director of Porsche’s GT range. We have now answered that question.” The most beautiful declaration of love naturally comes from the German driver. “The new 911 GT3 gives even more confidence at the limit than the previous model. I was faster in almost every turn,” recounts Bergmeister. “We learned a lot with the 911 GT3 RS, especially in terms of chassis. The car is much more stable over bumps and kerbs. And thanks to the shorter drive ratio of 8%, the rear traction is noticeably more pronounced during acceleration, despite the engine’s power being the same. Even though the 7-speed PDK version would have been a few seconds faster, the manual required much more work from me on this quick lap… and that made the experience even more enjoyable. ” As we can understand.
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