Porsche GT2 RS Sets Nürburgring Record, Makes the AMG GT Black Series Look Slow

Car manufacturers know how important it is to prove what their products can do, and one of the best ways to achieve that result is by setting them loose on the Nürburgring. Because you might impress a good amount of potential customers with horsepower and torque figures alone, but for those people who know a thing or two about cars, the Green Hell will be the appropriate proving ground.

Great rivalries don't have to be built on hatred

The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series has been holding on to its Nürburgring record since the 4th of November 2020, when it managed to achieve a lap time of 6:43.616. The time was achieved on the old layout of the track, which is 12.8 miles (20.6 km) long, some 656 feet (200 meters) shorter than the full lap. That is equivalent to 6:48.047 on the whole lap. The previous record had withstood for more than two years, as the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ LP770-4 managed to complete the short lap in 6:44.970.

But Porsche has been on a roll lately, and its previous lap records were only meant to build up the excitement for what it has just recently achieved. It was only about a week ago that Porsche had set the bar with their new Porsche Cayenne, doing a lap in 7:38.925, which was almost 4 seconds faster than the Audi RS Q8 and almost 16 seconds faster than the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+.

The same driver in the Cayenne, Lars Kern, was the man to clinch the record for Executive Cars last year, in July, when his 7:29.81 lap put the Panamera Turbo S in first place on the 'Ring, less than a second ahead of the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+. But Mercedes went back about four months later and shaved another 2 seconds off of Porsche's record.

Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection

In March of this year, Porsche teamed up with Manthey Racing, which is now a partner of the manufacturer, and with Kévin Estre behind the wheel of a 911 GT3 RS MR, achieved a time of 6:53.340. And if you think these cars are fast, you will be astonished to know that Porsche has been holding on to an absolute Nürburgring record for almost 40 years, as Stefan Bellof lapped the track in a Porsche 956 in just 6:11.13 in 1983.

But of course, Porsche did something about that too, and still to this day, I get dizzy by watching Timo Bernhard crushing all previous existing records in the 919 Hybrid Evo with a time of 5:19.546. So now that you're mostly up to date on how big of a role the Nürburgring has played in the development of high-performance Porsche vehicles, let's have a look at their most recent accomplishment.

232 days have passed since Mercedes-AMG established the road-approved production car record, and Affalterbach will have to come up with something impressive to claim that title back. Because as of today, Porsche has raised the bar, beating the Mercedes by almost 5 seconds. Lars Kern is the man of the hour once again, as he jumped in the driver's seat of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS fitted with a Manthey Performance Kit and set a lap record of 6:38.84.

If you're in control, you're not going fast enough

That's 6:38.84 for the short layout and 6:43.30 for the long layout. And that means the GT2 RS is even faster on the long version of the track than the AMG GT Black Series is on the shorter version. While Porsche has uploaded a short video that showcases their new record, the official Nürburgring account on Youtube has provided the raw, uncut version of the drive, which is a testament to both Kern's skills and the car's capabilities.

While the feat is nothing short of impressive, some pointed out that Porsche had already set such a record in a similar car back in 2018, when Lars Kern managed to finish a lap in 6:44.749, so about a second slower than the current, officially acknowledged result. The difference seems to be that back then, you couldn't just walk into a Porsche dealership and buy the Manthey Racing Kit, whereas today, with Manthey being a part of Porsche, their package is considered an OEM upgrade.

Even so, watching the full uncut video is an experience to be witnessed on a large screen TV and with your volume turned up all the way. The test was conducted using road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, with the average speed being 115.49 mph (185.87 kph). The Manthey Racing Kit itself comprises a series of chassis, aerodynamics, and brake upgrades, which were specifically designed for the GT2 RS.

I've got to do it!

When attempting such a record, every little bit counts, so the wheels on the car are the light magnesium alloy ones you'd get with the Weissach Package. Thanks to the new aero upgrades, downforce levels on the rear axle are now more than double what they used to be, and seeing Lars going through the left-hand corner after the main straight without lifting—at 192.62 mph (310 kph)—is good enough proof for me.

Talking about this insane move, which I imagine I will never perform anywhere else but in Assetto Corsa racing, Lars mentioned: "I was wondering whether I could take the kink at the end of the straight flat. I’d never done it before. So, I said to myself - I’ve got to do it-. I’m not sure I’d do it again. It was pretty sketchy". I've not had the chance to drive on the Green Hell yet, but I can tell you that it also feels sketchy just by playing the video game.

An additional water tank was also introduced into the equation so that spray-cooling of the intercooler would be more efficient, and fewer refills would be required. Now I imagine that Mercedes-AMG will retaliate by the end of this summer in one way or another, but when the Project One car is launched, it will be most interesting to see if Porsche will find a way to react to that kind of competition.