Driver's Eye Lap around the Nurburgring in a 911 GT3 R

Skill

There are few tracks as intimidating as the Nurburgring Nordschleife. That comes through in this footage from Alessio Clemente Picariello, a GT driver with a smooth driving style and plenty of confidence in the Falken 991 GT3 R. All timecodes refer to the aforementioned footage.

Photos: YouTube / Alessio Clemente Picariello

Beauty

To get some more shots of this teal beauty in action, you can watch this footage shot from the sidelines. Its sound and body language are even better from outside the car. 

Stablility

It's astoundingly stable in the fast stuff. As its reaches the crest near Flugplatz (2:25), it stays planted and turns into the fast right without any shimmy or delay in response. The wings and things pressing it into the tarmac are doing a stellar job. 

Punch

And though it might only make 500 horsepower, a number which somehow seems small by today's standards, it has real straight-line speed. If 500 horsepower can be deployed easily so that the driver is using nearly all of it the majority of the time, it's plenty. No turbochargers in this case, but a great gearbox and the gearing to get it to 165 mph before entering the daunting Schwedenkreuz (2:47) 

Reassurance

'Confidence-inspiring' would be a fair way to describe it. Any car that is so stable at nearly full throttle and 150 miles an hour through the Flugplatz (3:10) is glued and predictable. The suspension irons out a lot of the imperfections here at this terrifying downhill section. 

Controllability

If we were to nitpick some flaws, it does seem to be a big car with less visibility than you'd expect from a 911. The front does seem to lose a little at higher speeds, but that's a trait that is preferable to a twitchy, overly pointy car at a bumpy circuit like the Nordschleife. When it seems to run a little wide though, it's never more than was Picariello can manage. 

Robust

And with that lightweight body, massive footprint, aero grip, and 911 weight distribution, the Falken 991 R's deceleration is amazing. Watch as Picariello slows from 165 miles an hour in one reassuring, short, and almost effortless stab of the left pedal (8:08). It looks like he could do that all day.

Plenty of strengths, few flaws, and a level of performance that's accessible—these are why the 911 R is just so quick at a highly technical track like the 'Ring.