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Forbes
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Porsche Sets Nurburgring Record With 911 GT3 Manual
New Porsche 911 GT3 masters the Nordschleife in 6:56.294 minutes The traditional standard gearbox has captured the spotlight and earned new respect with the news that Porsche has set a new lap record for the fastest production car with a manual transmission on Germany's challenging Nürburgring-Nordschleife. Piloted by 49-year-old Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche brand ambassador and celebrated professional racer, a factory-stock 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 with a 6-speed manual gearbox circled the 12.94-mile 'Ring' in 6:56.294 minutes—beating the previous record for a manual gearbox vehicle by over 9.5 seconds. Manual, or standard, gearboxes have been around since the dawn of automobiles, when the operator was required to shift the transmission into different gears to drive the vehicle at various speeds. Engineers have spent more than a century attempting to engineer automatic transmissions that are smoother, faster, more efficient, and more convenient than a manual transmission. While early automatics, such as GM's Hydramatic four-speed hydraulic automatic introduced in 1939, reduced the driver's workload, they were slow to shift. Later iterations were quicker, but the 'slushbox' (a reference to the fluid in the torque converter) still had faults—driving enthusiasts preferred a manual gearbox. The innovative dual-clutch automatic transmission, fitted to passenger cars since the early 2000s, solved nearly all complaints. Lightning-fast shifts and full electronic integration with the engine ensured performance that no human could match. The Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (translated to "Porsche dual-clutch transmission"), or PDK, has been offered with all of Porsche's highest-performing sports cars since its introduction in 2008. And it has been the performance-leading gearbox when pitted against the traditional manual in every instance. The Porsche team celebrating the record at Nurburgring Yet many driving enthusiasts refuse to let go of the manual, citing more driver involvement and engagement. While many automakers have dropped the option, Porsche—acknowledging consumer demand—continues to offer it on many of its models, including the 911 GT3 sports car. '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, said. 'We have now answered this question and—although we know that the variant with PDK is significantly faster—drove our lap time with a manual six-speed gearbox. Even without the automated, super-fast and precise gearshifts of the PDK and with a mechanical instead of electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the new 911 GT3 takes around 3.6 seconds off its predecessor with PDK.' The previous record for a production vehicle with a manual gearbox was held by the 2017 Dodge Viper ACR, with a time of 7:01.3 minutes (timed on the shorter 12.8-mile track layout). The Dodge was fitted with an 8.4-liter V10 engine with 645 hp. In comparison, the 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 features a 4.0-liter flat-6 with 518 hp—the Germans accomplished a much faster lap with smaller displacement, fewer cylinders, and less power. The 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 'The new 911 GT3 inspires even more confidence at the limit than the previous model. I was faster in almost every corner,' Bergmeister said, describing the handling of the sports car. 'We learned a lot from the 911 GT3 RS, especially with the chassis. The car is even more stable on bumps and over the curbs. And thanks to the eight percent shorter gear ratio, there is noticeably more power on the rear axle when accelerating with the same engine power.' The lap record is another accolade for Porsche, but it is also a win for driving enthusiasts who stand behind the manual gearbox. Bergmeister readily admitted that the human involvement and engagement made the effort even more enjoyable. 'Even if it would have been a few seconds faster with the seven-speed PDK – with the six-speed manual gearbox I definitely had more to do on the fast lap and thus also a bit more fun.'
Associated Press
17-04-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
New record: Porsche 911 GT3 masters Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 6:56.294 minutes
Atlanta. The 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest production car with a manual transmission on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. Porsche brand ambassador Joerg Bergmeister beat the previous record – set by a competitor with a significantly more powerful engine – by over 9.5 seconds. Due to extensive continued development of all performance-relevant vehicle components, the manual 911 GT3 with optional Weissach Package was 3.633 seconds quicker than the predecessor model (992.1) with PDK. '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 said. 'We have now answered this question and – although we know that the variant with PDK is significantly faster – drove our lap time with a manual six-speed gearbox. Even without the automated, super-fast and precise gearshifts of the PDK and with a mechanical instead of electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the new 911 GT3 takes around 3.6 seconds off its predecessor with PDK.' In sunny weather, at 54 degrees Fahrenheit ambient and 80 degrees asphalt temperature, Joerg Bergmeister set out on the 12.94 mile (20.832 kilometer) track in the late afternoon in the 502 hp 911 GT3 with optional Weissach Package. As with the official lap of the previous model, he drove using road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires in the dimensions 255/35 R 20 at the front and 315/30 R 21 at the rear. The goal: fastest lap time of a production vehicle with manual transmission 'When we decided to set the official lap time of the new 911 GT3 with manual transmission, we naturally also looked at who was at the top of the leaderboard' Preuninger said. A competitor needed 7:01,300 minutes for the shorter 12.8 mile (20.6 kilometer) track layout. This corresponds to a time of around 7:05,800 minutes on the full 12.94 mile (20.832 kilometer) lap. Under supervision of an independent notary public, the lap time of the new 911 GT3 was validated at 6:56.294 minutes for the 12.94-mile (20.832-kilometer) lap. With that, Bergmeister improved the previous lap record by more than 9.5 seconds. Better performance with the same engine power 'The new 911 GT3 inspires even more confidence at the limit than the previous model. I was faster in almost every corner,' Bergmeister said, describing the handling of the sports car. 'We learned a lot from the 911 GT3 RS, especially with the chassis. The car is even more stable on bumps and over the curbs. And thanks to the eight percent shorter gear ratio, there is noticeably more power on the rear axle when accelerating with the same engine power. Even if it would have been a few seconds faster with the seven-speed PDK – with the six-speed manual gearbox I definitely had more to do on the fast lap and thus also a bit more fun.' Attachments Porsche Cars North America, Inc. [email protected]
