The manual transmission just gave the finger to extinction.
Porsche’s 2025 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual gearbox has obliterated the Nürburgring lap record for stick-shift production cars, clocking an astonishing 6:56.294 around the Green Hell.
That’s not just quick for a manual. It’s 9.5 seconds faster than the previous record holder, a Dodge Viper ACR.
It’s also 3.6 seconds quicker than the previous GT3 with a PDK automatic. Let that sink in.
The Three-Pedal Revolution
The record-breaking GT3 isn’t packing more power. It still uses the same 502 hp naturally aspirated flat-six. The speed comes from elsewhere.
Jörg Bergmeister, Porsche brand ambassador and former racing driver, piloted the manual monster around the ‘Ring on a sunny afternoon with 54°F ambient temperature and 80°F asphalt.
“The manual was more fun,” Bergmeister said after the lap, despite acknowledging the PDK’s quicker shifting capabilities.
Engineering Wizardry Beats Button-Pushing
How does a slower-shifting manual transmission beat its quicker-shifting automatic sibling? The answer lies in three crucial improvements:
- Eight-percent shorter gear ratio providing more immediate thrust from the rear axle
- Chassis improvements derived directly from the GT3 RS
- The optional Weissach Package enhancing stability over bumps and curbs
The manual GT3 wore road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R N1 tires during its record run.
The Death of “Save The Manuals”
We can officially retire the “Save The Manuals” campaign. It worked.
Porsche has proven that three pedals aren’t just for nostalgic purists. They’re for record-breakers.
The manual transmission isn’t surviving on life support. It’s thriving in the hands of engineers who understand that driving engagement trumps millisecond shift times.
Porsche’s GT boss Andreas Preuninger has long championed the manual option in Porsche’s GT cars. This record validates his conviction that driver involvement matters.
The manual isn’t dead. It just needed the right car to showcase its continued relevance in a world obsessed with automation.
And that car is a Porsche 911 GT3 with a stick shift, dancing around the Nordschleife faster than any three-pedal car in history.
