Let’s put that into perspective: that time makes the new Porsche 911 GT3 the fastest production car with a manual transmission to ever lap the Green Hell. And in true Porsche fashion, they didn’t need to increase power to do it.
This milestone run was done by Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister, a man with nerves of steel and probably wrists forged from titanium.
On a crisp afternoon with a 12°C breeze and a track baked to a perfect 27°C, he unleashed the GT3 fitted with the Weissach package and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R rubber on the 20.832km ribbon of tarmac.
The result was a blistering 6:56.294, more than 9.5 seconds quicker than the previous record-holder, which packed a more powerful engine.
It’s also 3.6 seconds faster than the previous GT3 equipped with the quicker, smarter PDK transmission. Jörg probably had three legs during this run.
Unlike most performance car headlines these days, this GT3 didn’t need more horses. It’s still running a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six putting out 510PS (375kW).
According to Andreas Preuninger, Porsche’s GT boss and patron saint of all things fast-and-featherweight, the improvements were rooted in the chassis, gearing, and sheer mechanical synergy.
“Even without the automated, super-fast and precise gearshifts of the PDK, and with a conventional instead of electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the car simply danced through the corners.”
Andreas Preuninger
That dance has been choreographed with insights gleaned from the ballistic GT3 RS. Revised damping characteristics, better bump absorption, and curbing stability all contributed to the GT3’s laser-guided poise around the ‘Ring.
Add in an 8 percent shorter gear ratio, and the result is more shove from the rear axle, noticeable even to a seasoned racer like Bergmeister, who admitted the extra physicality made the lap not just faster, but even more exhilarating.
This feat is a celebration of mechanical purity in an increasingly digital world. Porsche could’ve gone with the faster PDK for this record, and they know it would’ve shaved off even more time.
But this wasn’t about showing off on a stopwatch. It was about answering a question that kept cropping up in Porsche showrooms and fan forums alike: “How fast is the manual?”
Well, now we know.
As Preuninger puts it, “More and more 911 GT3 customers are opting for the six-speed manual transmission. And more and more often, we are asked… how fast a Porsche 911 GT3 with manual transmission would be on the Nordschleife.”
Now there’s an answer, carved into the annals of Nürburgring history.
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