Watch New Porsche 911 GT3 Blitz The Nurburgring Nordschleife

The Nurburgring Nordschleife can mean very different things to those in the automotive space. While many automakers use the infamous ribbon of tarmac for validation testing, others see it as a battleground for lap records. As such, Porsche recently published an onboard video of its latest 911 GT3 firing around the Green Hell.

Sat behind the wheel is Porsche test driver Lars Kern, and that’s a good thing. If you didn’t think he already had every petrolhead's dream job, think again, because he also races a Porsche 911 GT3R in the IMSA American endurance racing series with Pfaff motorsports. 

Semantics aside, we knew the latest GT3 would be quick, but we didn’t expect quite this level of performance. For the uninitiated, it completed a lap in just under seven minutes – 6:59.927 to be exact. That might sound like a jumble of numbers, but to offer some perspective that’s around 12 seconds quicker than the previous-generation GT3 and 6 seconds quicker than the RS model.

In terms of the lap, Lars is unsurprisingly brilliant behind the wheel. We often talk about how much time lies on the table with benchmark laps like these, but it’s clear that Mr. Kern knows no different than driving flat-out everywhere; his commitment through high-speed sections like Flugplatz and Döttinger Höhe showcase the fact that racing drivers are truly a different breed.

Sure, the GT3 isn’t quite as fast as its GT2 RS sibling, but that’s not what this car is about. Instead of all-out power, the middle-ground machine has always been about delivering a scintillating experience behind the wheel, and the latest example is clearly no exception.