I like when companies devote effort to breaking track records, and Porsche’s recent efforts, especially those with the 919 Hybrid Evo have produced spectacular result. Even more than traditional motorsport, lap records tend to be lawless territory where car and driver can go beyond the limits of the racing rulebook in an effort to produce speed. While everyone was chasing the 200 mph mark in the 1980s and ‘90s, lap records are seemingly all the rage in today’s automotive landscape. Production car lap records at the Nurburgring are today’s yardstick.
Porsche owns the record at that big German track, both the outright record and the one for production cars. So, they apparently set out to own the record at the world’s second-longest race track, a somewhat inauspicious title, held by new Australian circuit The Bend Motorsport Park. The reason the Nurburgring is the traditional lap record locale, and the problem with setting this lap record at The Bend, is comparison. Now, perhaps Porsche’s opening salvo will entice other manufacturers to come to Australia to set a lap, or perhaps this is a non-event that Porsche set up to convince people like me to write headlines about them. (Hey, at least I’m self-aware, right?)
All of that said, the new GT2 RS is a righteously fast Porsche. Aussie driver Warren Luff was able to lap the circuit at an average speed of 84.38 miles per hour, which is pretty quick considering how many slow corners and hairpins the track has. Is it impressive? We have no way of knowing, as there’s nothing to compare it to. Cool, I guess.
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