Porsche loves to set blistering Nürburgring lap times. The 911 GT3 and GT2 RS each hold a spot among the top ten fastest production cars around the circuit, and the 918 Spyder and previous-generation 911 GT3 RS barely miss the cutoff.
Now, Stuttgart has sent the 911's little sibling out to play on the grueling 12.9-mile track. With a 7:09.3 lap time, it seems the 718's first-ever RS model took to the challenge like any other Porsche — quickly. Here’s the full lap on YouTube:
Many of the fastest ‘Ring laps look calm and composed, but this video really shows the sense of speed that comes with a professional Nürburgring lap. The Cayman GT4 RS briefly hits 177 mph along the track’s extended straight, more than enough speed to terrify all but the most determined drivers.
Comparing Nürburgring times gets a little interesting. Manufacturers used to time their laps against a 12.8-mile configuration of the circuit, omitting the final 0.14 miles for “historical reasons.” More recently, Nürburgring officials have mandated that manufacturers use the complete length of the circuit for their official times.
Now, manufacturers simply release both — the 12.94 mile time for official bookkeeping, and the 12.8-mile time as a comparison against pre-mandate lap records. For the 718 GT4 RS, that 0.14-mile difference accounts for nearly four full seconds on this lap: the official time is 7:09.3, but the comparative time is a quicker 7:04.51.
That 7:04.51 takes sixteenth place on the Nürburgring podium, ahead of slowpokes like the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R Pro, the McLaren 720S, and the Nissan GT-R Nismo. It turns out that when Porsche sets its mind on speed, it builds some really, really fast cars. Who knew?
Since the 718 Cayman GT4 RS (which is not a cumbersome name at all) hasn’t yet made its official debut, we don’t have horsepower or weight numbers to credit for the car’s blistering speed. We can, however, credit driver Jörg Bergmeister for whipping the car through the Nürburgring’s many turns.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is expected to debut next month. If you manage to get your hands on one, I recommend taking it to a track day. You may not manage times like these, but I can’t imagine you won’t be thrilled.