New Porsche 911 GT3 RS Beats Old GT2 RS To Set Road America Production Car Record

It shaved off nearly two seconds from the previous record.

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Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Jul 11, 2023 at 9:00am ET

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It takes a Porsche 911 to beat a Porsche 911. Indeed, the Road America production car record set by the previous-generation 911 GT2 RS is no longer in place, but only because the new 911 GT3 RS lapped the track in Wisconsin nearly two seconds faster. With professional race car driver Dimitri Dimakos behind the wheel, the latest track-focused machine from Zuffenhausen completed the four-mile, 14-turn course in an impressive two minutes and 13.8 seconds.

The now-obsolete record was set by David Donohue in April 2019 with a time of 2 minutes and 15.1 seconds. On paper at least, the two RS models represent different tiers of performance as the 991-generation GT2 RS has 700 horsepower whereas the new GT3 RS makes do with "only" 518 hp. Despite the 182-hp gap, the 992-generation GT3 RS proved to be substantially faster thanks to its comprehensive aero package.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS sets Road America production car record

As if that wasn't impressive enough, the latest 911 GT3 RS is more than four and a half seconds faster at the freshly paved Road America than the previous-generation model. The car used to set the record was delivered to its rightful private owner a few weeks before the hot lap. Prior to the run, the track-focused machine was equipped with the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R N0 tires, a road-legal set measuring 275/35 ZR20 front and 335/30 ZR21 rear.

Don't be too surprised if Porsche will improve its own record yet again at the "Nürburgring Nordschleife of North America" in the years to come. After all, a test mule of the new 911 GT2 RS was seemingly spotted in April. There's a juicy report saying it's coming in 2026 with over 700 hp from a hybrid powertrain. It's rumored to limit the weight penalty to no more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) after adding the hybrid-related components.