It seems the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S, one up from the base 911 Carrera model, has recorded a Nurburgring lap time of 7 minutes and 40 seconds. Nothing to actually shout about actually as you may know of cars that lap the 'Green Hell' faster than that. But the amazing thing about this figure is that this slightly better than the basic model 911 actually lapped the Nurburgring as fast as the 997 Porsche 911 GT3, the previous generation's Porsche 911 track day special. This is amazing indeed.

This piece of news was brought about during a GoAuto.co.au interview with the Porsche 911 Product Director Mr. August Achleitner. The 2012 (surprisingly numbered Type 991) Porsche 911 Carrera S is powered by a 3.8-liter unit with an output of 400 PS (294 kW / 394 hp). The 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes just 4.3 seconds (4.1 with the Sport Plus function in the optional Sport Chrono package) and top speed is 302 km/h (188 mph).

The 997 911 GT3 made 415bhp from a 3.6liter flat 6. So even with that firmer race car suspension and more focused demeanor overall, the newer more civilized car somehow manages to clock a faster lap time.

This clearly shows that there is still much progress and magic that can be made through chassis tuning. I can't wait to see how the new 911 GT3 will perform.

- A 997 Porsche 911 GT3