It won鈥檛 have escaped your attention that Porsche recently set a new Nurburgring Nordschleife record with the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The fastest lap time for a naturally aspirated sports car now belongs to the 991.2 GT3 RS with a solid 6 minutes 56.4 second effort. It is the third Porsche to deliver a sub-7 minute lap time, following in the footsteps of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the GT2 RS. How did Porsche manage to make this new GT3 RS so much faster than the last generation? We went to the Nurburgring to get behind the wheel and find out. Its predecessors, including the first 911 GT3 RS from 2003, were on hand to provide some context. To fully understand the GT3 RS you have to take a look at what the RS badge stands for. Its inception cam about with the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Porsche were required to build at least 500 road cars to homologate the model for GT racing. It was an instant hit, and Porsche eventually produced over 1,000 cars.
Following the tradition of the original RS 2.7, the modern GT3 RS models are born from Porsche鈥檚 racing tradition. This is also true for the latest GT3 RS. It gets Porsche鈥檚 most powerful naturally aspirated engine, exceptional downforce and countless components carried over from motorsports. That said, on paper, the specifications of the new GT3 RS look modest. The 4.0 litre six-cylinder engine produces 520 hp and 470 Nm of torque, just 20 hp more that the outgoing model. Remarkably, its Nordschleife lap time is 24 seconds faster than its predecessor! Looking a little closer at the spec sheet, it revs all the way up to 9,000 rpm, 0-100 km/h is done in 3.2 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 10.6 seconds and the GT3 RS tops out at 312 km/h. Figures that put higher powered rivals to shame! The 7-Speed PDK gearbox gives lightning fast gear changes. Some will be disappointed to hear that a manual gearbox is still not an option with the GT3 RS. Torque vectoring is available and adds an electronically controlled, and fully variable rear differential lock. On track I had the opportunity to drive the new GT3 RS back to back with the older generations.
A very interesting opportunity that shed light on the difference between the previous GT3 RS and the new one. The paper specifications don鈥檛 do justice to the difference between the previous generation and the latest generation. The engine feels far more responsive, it has a turbo-like push in the mid-range. It is proof that the development of naturally aspirated engines has not yet reached its full potential. Handling has also improved. Compared to its predecessor the new GT3 RS feels literally glued to the track. Each input returns a sharper response. This has been achieved through an overhaul of virtually every element, from air flow to ball joints on all arms, both hardware and software. It has been just three years since the previous generation GT3 RS was introduced. Given this, I am excited about what the next three years will bring. For those customers looking for the ultimate track performance, there are a few options available; the Weissach package adds front and rear anti-roll bars together with additional styling elements. In addition, the standard composite brakes can be replaced with PCCB - the best ceramic composite brakes Porsche has to offer. A Clubsport package also adds a roll cage and 6-point seat belt is available at no extra charge.
The list of some electric vehicles with the most pronounced loss in value over the first three years is made up of short-range models. Tesla considers third party apps for its big center screens Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested that the automaker could in the future allow apps from third-party developers to run on its in-vehicle systems. Tesla gets (more) real with online pricing, downplays gas-price game Tesla has made real cash prices available on its main build page for vehicles, which might help eliminate some confusion over theoretical fuel savings. Report: Tesla to build Model Y in Fremont, release Model S refresh in September Tesla could be stepping a refresh of the Model S up to September, and planning to make the Model Y crossover in California. 240 a share. Apple is reportedly no longer working on a self-driving car of its own. 2019 Tesla Model S Long Range vs.