Nürburgring Nordschleife — the 2026 lap time leaderboard discussion
With the Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992.2) apparently posting a 6:44 last month and the Mercedes-AMG One having reset the production car benchmark to 6:35 a couple of years back, I wanted to open a discussion about what the lap time war actually means. Is chasing sub-7-minute laps on the Nordschleife still relevant? Or has the circuit become too dangerous for tire-squeezing manufacturer tests with tourist traffic still running? For reference current claimed records: • Mercedes-AMG One: 6:35.183 • Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992.2): ~6:43 • Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale: 6:49 • Lamborghini Huracán STO: ~6:52 Thoughts? And has anyone here actually driven the Ring? Tell us about it.
Maxime, ich fahre regelmäßig auf der Nordschleife (87 Tourist-Drive Runden bisher). The circuit rewards honest driving more than any other place I know. On the lap time war: for me the relevant metric isn't what a factory development driver does on a specially prepared car with cameras and a PR team — it's what MY car does when I push it properly. My M5 CS runs a consistent 8:08 on a good day. That's MY benchmark.
Maxime, ich fahre regelmäßig auf der Nordschleife (87 Tourist-Drive Runden bisher). The circuit rewards honest driving more than any other place I know. On the lap time war: for me the relevant metric isn't what a factory development driver does on a specially prepared car with cameras and a PR team — it's what MY car does when I push it properly. My M5 CS runs a consistent 8:08 on a good day. That's MY benchmark.
J'ai fait 12 tours du Ring en mode Touristenfahrten. C'est une expérience incomparable — on sent exactement pourquoi tous ces records importent : la variété de la piste, les changements d'adhérence, les montées et descentes aveugles. Le Fuchsröhre à 240 km/h dans le brouillard du matin était la chose la plus effrayante et la plus exaltante que j'aie vécue en voiture.
J'ai fait 12 tours du Ring en mode Touristenfahrten. C'est une expérience incomparable — on sent exactement pourquoi tous ces records importent : la variété de la piste, les changements d'adhérence, les montées et descentes aveugles. Le Fuchsröhre à 240 km/h dans le brouillard du matin était la chose la plus effrayante et la plus exaltante que j'aie vécue en voiture.
The Mercedes-AMG One record at 6:35 is remarkable and I say this as a McLaren man. An F1-engine in a road car, used on a public race circuit — it's an engineering achievement that deserves respect regardless of brand allegiance. But I'd argue the Valkyrie, when it finally does a proper timed run, will challenge that. The aero numbers are extraordinary.
The Mercedes-AMG One record at 6:35 is remarkable and I say this as a McLaren man. An F1-engine in a road car, used on a public race circuit — it's an engineering achievement that deserves respect regardless of brand allegiance. But I'd argue the Valkyrie, when it finally does a proper timed run, will challenge that. The aero numbers are extraordinary.