WATCH: Porsche 911 GT3 RS laps Nordschleife in just 6:49.328 minutes

Piloted by ex-Carrera Cup driver Jörg Bergmeister, the RS shaves over 10 seconds off the standard GT3’s time with help from Michelin’s most extreme road legal rubber.

There is no debating that the 911 Carrera is a fantastic sports car. Offering class leading handling and exceptional versatility, the world’s favourite rear-engined sports car is a true jack of all trades. But for those looking for that final degree of focus, precision and all out performance, something a little more specialised is required.

Taking the already hardcore GT3 to a higher level is the job of the RS: the most uncompromising, raw and visceral 911 model. The GT3 RS has one priority and that’s chasing lap times, making it the perfect tool to demolish Nürburgring records.

Compared to other high-performance models in the 911 range, the RS ditches turbochargers and four-wheel drive systems in pursuit of maximum lightness and response. In order to generate over 520 bhp without the helping hand of forced induction, the RS’s 4.0 flat 6 howls all the way to a scintillating 9000 revs – which as you’ll see in the video, makes a compelling argument for keeping petrol engines around for a little longer.

That rocket of a powerplant slung over the rear wheels has less mass to haul about too, thanks to the liberal use of race-bred materials like carbon fibre reinforced plastic in the doors, wings, roof and bonnet. Magnesium wheels (shod with ultra-sticky Michelin rubber) also help to tip the scales 6kg in the right direction.

Arguably the biggest change over a standard GT3 though, is the huge increase in downforce added by the array of active wings, side blades and vents – which adapt electrically to the driving situation and can even be overridden by pushing a DRS button for maximum straight-line speed.

On a track like the Nürburgring where cars carry enormous speeds for sustained periods, this invisible force plays a huge role. Porsche knows this of course, hence why the RS can generate three times more of the stuff than the GT3 (860kg at 180mph), forcing the tyres into the ground in a way that few road legal cars can.

And, on the subject of tyres, an extreme car calls for extreme rubber. That’s why Porsche has opted to pair its pinnacle performer with Michelin's most aggressive road legal compound: the Pilot Sport Cup 2R.

Developed with maximum lateral dry grip and driving precision in mind, the Cup 2R’s tread pattern increases contact to the ground by 10%.

This, in combination with their immense width (30mm wider at the rear than those fitted to the Ferrari 488 Pista) allows Bergmeister to exploit every last ounce of potential from the GT3 RS.

Watch the above video to see how Porsche and Michelin manged to lap the fabled Green Hell faster than a Lamborghini Huracán Performante.