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.
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.