Despite being of no use in real-world performance, the lap records at the Nürburgring ring assures undeniable bragging rights. Every now and then you come across a vehicle which clocks a bananas lap time at the track. Today, Porsche has done something similar with its 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.  

Porsche’s new performance-oriented track weapon just broke the record at Nürburgring, becoming the fastest naturally-aspirated production car around the Nordschleife. The new GT3 RS recorded a blistering pace of 6:49.328, a whole 10.6 seconds faster than its non-RS GT counterpart.   

What’s more surprising is that the new RS came extremely close to beating the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series’ timing (6:48.05) around the 20.8km track, falling only a few seconds behind the far more powerful turbocharged supercar.   

“Today the 911 GT3 RS delivered what it had already promised at first glance – absolute excellence on the racetrack,” said Andreas Preuninger, director of GT cars for Porsche, adding “Considering the far from ideal conditions, with a strong headwind on the long straight of the Döttinger Höhe and cool asphalt temperatures, we are satisfied with this time. The 911 GT3 RS is setting new standards for aerodynamics and the chassis. Never before has a road car embodied so much motorsport.”  

So how did they do it? A whole lot of complex aerodynamic wizardry. For starters, the GT3 RS uses an active aero system, with two flaps ahead of the front wheels. The pair works with a huge bi-plane rear wing to constantly adjust the generated downforce. But just how much you ask? According to Porsche, the RS makes 860kg of aerodynamic downforce at 285km/h, which as per the company, is three times the downforce of the standard GT3. 

However, since downforce also tends to produce drag, which can reduce the top speed, folks at Porsche have equipped the RS with a DRS button, which opens the slot gap between the two wing section to reduce drag. All of this is aided by lightweight magnesium wheels, wrapped with optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres.   

Powering the RS is a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine, which makes 525PS of power and 465Nm of torque. It can do 0-100kmph in 3.2 seconds, with a top speed of nearly 300kmph. Beyond the powertrain, Porsche uses an array of carbon-fibre bits on the doors, front fenders and seats. Launched back in August, the GT3 RS costs Rs 3.25 crore (ex-showroom).