In a world obsessed with dual-clutch lap times and zero-lag everything, Porsche has done something wonderfully mechanical: it's broken a Nürburgring record with a six-speed manual gearbox. Yes, a proper manual, the sort with a clutch pedal and a lever that reminds you you’re still part of the process.
Headline Numbers:
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Model: 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 Weissach Package (992.2)
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Lap Time: 6:56.294 (Nürburgring Nordschleife, 20.8 km full circuit)
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Transmission: Six-speed manual
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Tyres: Road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R N1
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Power: 502 bhp
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Torque: 421 Nm
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Top Speed: Around 320 kmph, depending on gearbox
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Engine: 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six
That lap time makes it the fastest production car with a manual gearbox to ever lap the 'Ring, some 9.5 seconds quicker than the Dodge Viper ACR’s 2017 benchmark, if you account for the extra track distance.
The car was driven by Porsche’s own lap-meister, Jörg Bergmeister, who summed it up neatly: “It’s more stable on bumps and curbs. Even with the slower manual shifts, it felt faster everywhere.” He also admitted to having more fun. Because, of course, he did.
Now, if you’re wondering how a car with 143 fewer horsepower and 258 fewer Newton-metres than the Viper pulled this off, it’s not witchcraft. It's weight. And chassis. And a company that’s been perfecting this recipe for 60 years.
What’s New in the 2025 GT3 Manual:
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Revised suspension geometry inspired by the GT3 RS
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Shorter gear ratios (eight percent shorter than before)
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Weissach Package with lightweight magnesium wheels
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Mechanical limited-slip diff (no fancy electronics here)
Interestingly, if you opt for the manual, you forgo the electronically controlled rear differential. Yet, even with the less sophisticated mechanical setup, the GT3 still clawed its way to a sub-seven-minute time, which tells you something about Porsche’s confidence in its fundamentals.
Let’s not pretend this is quicker than a PDK. Porsche’s own PDK-equipped GT3 is technically faster, but the 2025 manual version has shaved 3.7 seconds off its predecessor’s lap. So, progress, just not the robot kind.
The engine remains a high-revving, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre boxer six. It still screams past 9,000 rpm and does its best work when the scenery starts to blur. There’s no turbocharging and no electrification. Just old-school internal combustion, honed to within an inch of perfection.
And while the tyres may be street legal, they’re very much track-leaning. Michelin’s Cup 2 R N1s aren’t what you’d call “monsoon-ready.” They’re the kind you apologise to after hitting a pothole.
The Takeaway:
Manuals might be fading, but Porsche isn't giving up just yet. The GT3 manual is not just a nod to nostalgia, and it’s a proper fast, highly engineered celebration of involvement.
And now, it’s also a record-holder. It’s not about having the most power anymore. It’s about using all of it, precisely and perfectly, preferably with a third pedal.
