The Nürburgring (The Green Hell) lap record

The weapon is a 911 GT2 RS with a set of aerodynamic, suspension, and brake updates from the experts at Manthey Racing. Before you cry foul at Porsche taking credit, the Manthey Performance Kit is available to European customers through Porsche’s Equipment accessory line-up. 

The record attempt, which was verified by a notary, edged out the previous 'ring champ’ by just over 5 seconds on the same 20.8-kilometer track layout. That vehicle, a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, broke the former record last November and claimed a lap time of 6:43.616 on the slightly shorter 20.6-km route – the Manthey GT2 did that lap in 6:38.835. 

 

Top speed reached: 310kp/h (193mp/h). Average speed: 186kp/h (116mp/h). 

 

The car comes with a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six that makes 691 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (515 kilowatts and 750 newton-meters), with rear-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that cracks off quick and responsive shifts. The Manthey vehicle also comes with the GT2’s Weissach package, which subs in carbon fibre for the roof panel and suspension components, titanium for the roll cage, and magnesium for the wheels, so it’s not exactly a heavy machine. 

 

 

As a Porsche aficionado and having owned and raced these fantastic automobiles, and when discussing and expressing your appreciation for these machines, at some point in the discussion the subject of the Nordschleife (Nuremberg ring) ring will be raised-almost always! 

Many dismiss this track, which is used for all forms of motorsport, as an irrelevance when it comes to what it is most famous for; the flying lap times/records, so coveted by the manufacturer of sports/super cars. 

 

The critics and nay sayers are wrong: they are wrong because these lap times are very relevant indeed- you see if this was a standard albeit long circuit, (20,8km to be exact as opposed to an average distance of formula 1 tracks of around 3.5 to 4km ) – it is the ultimate environment to test a car on what is a cross section of road surfaces , corners , gradients , hidden corners, brutal hairpin bends , over an undulating forest course , is the ultimate expression in high speed driving without slaughtering the public (if one had to try and emulate this course in more conventional non-track environments). Its relevant because if your car is fast and make claims to be a super car, then this is the ‘green hell’ , where such claims at being part of the Parthenon of super cars is tested and I mean severely tested. 

 

You pass this test – and your car passes as being a complete package: you survive 170 corners, with elevation variations of 300m- through rolling hills covered by forests hence the nickname green hell, and do it well, you are considered worthy. 

No where else in the world is there anything evenly remotely close to this ultimate test of speed, endurance, handling, and safety. 

This is the all-round ultimate test of just how good your car is – not its 0-60 time (complete waste of time as a benchmark), its loud bangy farty exhaust or outrageous angles and curves. Does it perform in the real world, on real world roads and environments? Does the package work as a whole? These questions are answered here at the ‘green hell’. 

 

So, it is no surprise then that all the top manufacturers, perhaps except for Ferrari who it appears is not going to be goaded into this game of one upmanship that of course should you not be the top dog, thus the best car- can cost you some reputational damage. 

 

Of course there are categories of cars that go for these records, so everyone can boast their model be it a family sedan to a 4x4, has proven itself capable of handling the track and coming out with respectful times. But for sports/super car manufacturers this is the ultimate ‘top trumps’ game. Win here or rather be at the top of the leader board- and you are top dog- no question, or argument. 

 

We are talking production car category here of course, there is the unlimited non production cars category overall record, which unsurprisingly is held by the superlative Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, the erstwhile WEC dominant alpha male until rule changes retired this beast. That record: 5:19.55 minutes for lest round it off to 21 km or rounded up, 4km a minute.  

 

A top speed of 368km/h was reached in this lap (229mp/h). Almost unbelievable. 

 

But getting back to the nitty gritty of high performance super / sports cars, this is where the ire of non-Porsche enthusiasts are raised: Porsche hold the record, and have consistently been top dog as the fastest production super/sports car at this ultimate test of performance, handling , safety and boasting rights. 

 

Its an irritating fact that this record counts, it really counts and the haters of the Porsche marque will complain long and hard about it wasn’t a standard production car, and was modified , etc etc. 

 

So let’s get into it: the current top dog and consistently so (and despite the close attentions of Mercedes, who are really focused on topping the leader board, and some attempts by the Lamborghini Aventador and Huracan models (Knightsbridge posers) , with Maclaren making an attempt to contest but not really amounting to much), is Porsche . 

 

Whenever a contender posts a faster time, Porsche unleashes its Performance Turning Division and Race team specialists, Manthey Racing, and piloted by Lars Kern on the last two fight backs, to break hearts. 

Haters will be quick to point Manthey are a tuning arm, making bespoke performance cares and not standard production units off the assembly line at Weissach. Wrong. You can. However, that is exactly what AMG do and of course the Lamborghinis who did briefly hit top spot were not your standard catalogue purchase units. Though in fairness they are production cars as are Manthey cars, expensive, but still part of the performance package you can order at Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. 

 

Manthey are the beasts of the endurance racing world, as a private tuning company, they were dedicated to Porsche and racing they were so good, Porsche bought them or rather 51% of the company and now are the front-line weapon in the Porsche racing and performance arsenal. 

 

Manthey own the Nordschleife as does a prowling, savage wolf pacing around the green hell waiting for the next victim. With significant bias therefore, but when confronted by loud, farty , banging , screeching spectacle which symbolises offerings from the top marque manufacturers , that has embraced the artificial exhaust note and lying prostrate at the altar of 0-60 time, all you need to do is say : ‘ …nice- but is it not a Porsche..keep trying’.