http://www.germancarfans.com/news.cf...porsche/1.html

Carrera GT fastest car on Nürburgring

The Carrera GT is the fastest car to lap the Nürburgring North Circuit. With the clock showing 7’32.44 minutes, Horst von Saurma, Chief Editor of the German specialist magazine “sport auto,” achieved a new record for road-approved vehicles, at the wheel of the 612 HP strong Porsche. He completed the 22.6 km long round in the Eifel at an average speed of 164 km/h.

"It was really touch and go. The circuit was dirty in some sectors, which didn’t make it any easier,” beamed Horst von Saurma with glee, after his record round.

For ten years the magazine has been awarding an (unofficial) challenge cup to the driver who drives the fastest round on the Nürburgring using a road-approved car. Thus the race for the best time round the circuit has become a prestigious affair, as Nürburgring is still the best and most honest test of the quality of a vehicle chassis, motor performance, aerodynamics and naturally of tires. Since 1995, times have gradually improved from 7’52 minutes to the current 7’32.44 minutes. Wolfgang Dürheimer, Member of Porsche’s Management Board responsible for Research and Development: “The time achieved by Horst von Saurma is excellent and demonstrates the potential of our car. Until recently such times could exclusively be clocked up with pure racing prototypes.”

The journalist von Saurma clocked up the fastest round in the context of a so-called “super test,” which the magazine executes regularly. Top times on the Nürburgring, always driven by the same tester, are among the criteria. Wolfgang Dürheimer: “It is precisely for this reason that the 7’32.44 minutes are so easy for us to put in to context and are thus valuable.”

 

Still slower than a Radical, which is a road legal car (in the UK!)

I was interested that Porsche themselves wouldn't publish Walter's times in the car. It is safe to say he is the ultimate 'ring miester' so I wonder what his times really were? They came up with some nonsense about feeling that ring times were getting too crazy, and didn't want to fuel a manufacturers 'ring war that would end in tears.

 

The CGT has 605 HP. The Merc SL65 has 612 HP.

 

450 kW (612 PS) = 605 SAE

 

I would hardly call the Radical street legal for all practical purposes. At least you can drive a Carrera GT to work and the grocery store and it will also be safer in a collision with other vehicles. You are talking about 3000lbs. vs. almost one third the weight in the Radical.

Radicals are fast, but it's basically a large go kart, not a street car.

FYI, a Gemballa GTR600 based on 996GT3 with twin turbos ran an identical time to the Carrera GT on the ring, except it ran a 22.8km course as opposed to the 22.6 that von Saurma ran.

Jurgen Alzen also prepared a 996 Turbo with 700hp and rear wheel drive which faster than the Radical SR3 Turbo, about 2km faster at 175km/h.

Shows how great the 911 platform is... although of course I wouldn't mind having a Carrera GT as a stablemate either.

 

Yes, with full warranty and proper resale value to boot.