The Holy Ground of Time Attacks

The Nürburgring is a world-famous, ultra-challenging course known as the holy ground for time attacks by car manufacturers worldwide. My husband has been practicing relentlessly on the Nürburgring in Gran Turismo on PlayStation, trying to shave off even a second. (I wonder where he’s headed with this…) I believe he’s run it over 100 laps, and he says he has memorized the long course of over 20 km perfectly. Recently, he drove it in a 911 RSR and recorded a lap time of 7 minutes 7 seconds. (Not world-class, but pretty fast for an amateur, he says.)

He often says, “Someday, I’m definitely going to drive the Nürburgring in Germany for real!” and plans to keep practicing until then. By the way, the new Panamera Turbo actually ran this Nürburgring in 7 minutes 38 seconds.

Nürburgring Lap Records

As a sports car manufacturer, Porsche has repeatedly rewritten the lap records at the Nürburgring, the holy ground of time attacks.

In 1983, driver Stefan Bellof set the fastest lap time of 6 minutes 11.13 seconds on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the “Porsche 956.” This record was so fast that it was said at the time, “It will probably never be broken.”

Time passed, and in 2013, although not a race car, the “918 Spyder” broke the 7-minute barrier, which was considered impossible for a production car, recording a lap time of 6 minutes 57 seconds.

*Source: Porsche’s Great Records! A Look Back at Porsche’s Motorsport History

Then in 2017, the “911 GT2 RS” set a new record for street-legal sports cars with a lap time of 6 minutes 47.3 seconds on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

*Porsche 911 GT2 RS Sets New Nürburgring Nordschleife Record [News]

Furthermore, in April 2018, the new “911 GT3 RS” slightly improved on the 918 Spyder’s record, recording a lap time of 6 minutes 56.4 seconds. While not the fastest Nürburgring record, it cut the previous GT3 RS’s lap time by a remarkable 24 seconds.

*Fastest Naturally Aspirated: Porsche 911 GT3 RS Breaks Record

The Feat of the 919 Hybrid Evo

Then in June 2018, an incredible record was set. The race car that Porsche seriously modified, the “919 Hybrid Evo,” recorded a course record of 5 minutes 19.55 seconds. In other words, it broke the 6 minutes 11.13 seconds record set by the Porsche 956 in 1983, 35 years later, by nearly a whole minute.

*Behind Porsche’s “All-Out” Race Car Breaking Nürburgring Record After 35 Years

Porsche is a sports car manufacturer that combines “sports performance” and “practicality,” allowing you to go shopping right after circuit driving. It’s impressive to see that this mindset has been faithfully inherited and reflected in product development even after decades.

What About Other Records?

Besides the Nürburgring course records, Porsche has set various other records.

① Le Mans Most Wins Record Extended

In 2015, Porsche won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 17 years since 1998, extending its record for the most wins at Le Mans to 17.

*Image & Article Source: Le Mans 24 Hours, Porsche Breaks Record with First Win in 17 Years Since 1998

② Cayenne Sets Guinness World Record by Towing a 285-Ton Jumbo Jet

In 2017, at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, two “Cayenne S Diesel” and “Cayenne Turbo S” vehicles sequentially towed the massive 285-ton passenger plane A380. The Guinness World Records certified this, making the Cayenne the heaviest aircraft ever to be towed by a production car.

After the Guinness record attempt, the two Cayennes reportedly drove back from Paris to London without any issues.

*Image & Article Source: [Video] Porsche Cayenne Sets Guinness World Record by Towing a 285-Ton Jumbo Jet!

③ On September 18, 2018, New Cayenne Turbo Achieves Europe’s Highest Bicycle Speed Record

The new Cayenne Turbo towed a bicycle on a runway in the UK (about 3.2 km long), breaking the approximately 40-year-old record of 217 km/h by reaching 240 km/h, setting the highest bicycle speed record in Europe.

When the speed reached 177 km/h, the tow rope was released, and the cyclist closely followed behind the new Cayenne Turbo, using the slipstream to accelerate further.

*Image & Article Source: Cycling at 240 km/h! Europe’s Highest Speed Record Achieved… Porsche’s Slipstream

The Latest Is the Best

Porsche continues to set various records. Their attitude of never settling and always challenging is probably why “the latest Porsche is the best Porsche.” As a Porsche fan, I still dream of experiencing a lap at the Nürburgring at least once. (Even if just as a passenger, lol)