It's been too long since we last discussed the matter of Nurburgring records. This time, it's big. Porsche claims to have re-taken the outright lap record for a production car on the fabled track located in the Eifel mountains. A GT2 RS prepared for the challenge by Manthey Racing is now the car to beat.

Porsche is crazy about records, as you might've noticed. They built a special 919 Hybrid prototype, known as the 919 Evo, just to showcase their engineering prowess, and to smash the then-lap record at the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix track and the all-time Nordschleife lap record. Now, they've returned to the 'Green Hell' to claim the fastest time for a production car, which had been in the hands of Lamborghini since earlier this year.

Read on to learn why this is a convoluted situation

Who's the faster of the fastest at the Nordschleife? Does it actually matter?

Porsche is serious when it comes to preserving their records. That's why they want them back right away when some other manufacturer takes them from under their noses. This was the case back in July when a Pirelli-shod Lamborghini Aventador SVJ posted a 6:44.970 lap around the Nurburgring-Nordschleife beating Lars Kern's previous record lap time of 6:47.250 recorded in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS in 2017.

So, Porsche went to Manthey Racing to help them get their revenge. Manthey Racing is the outfit that runs Porsche's GTE-class effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as running a works-backed squad in world-class GT3 races. Manthey Racing offers an 'MR' package which further enhances the GT2 RS's ability around a track. That's why Porsche chose an MR version when they decided to return to the Nordschleife to get their record back.

The MR has an upgraded adjustable suspension, and the chassis is stiffer. With the same Lars Kern behind the wheel, the red GT2 RS smashed Lamborghini's record by 4 seconds and set a benchmark lap of 6:40.300. "The drive was great fun,” Kern said quoted by Top Gear. "The balance of the car is very good with the new package. I did not have to take any great risks to be fast. But I only had one attempt because it was already getting dark. It worked out first time though."

According to Porsche, the only difference between the record-breaking car and a standard GT2 RS MR is the racing bucket seat that was installed for the driver. Otherwise, the car's 703 horsepower 3.8-liter boxer engine was untouched. But, the fact that Porsche used a non-stock MR-tuned GT2 RS - which also had a new bucket seat fitted - make some question how legitimate Porsche's record really is. As Top Gear puts it, " remains road legal, but it’s not a car you can buy from a showroom". British motoring outlet Autocar, however, argues that "despite the modifications, the GT2 RS remains suitable for off-track use in Europe, rendering it eligible for the road-legal lap time record".

As I said, the business of Nurburgring record-breaking laps is oftentimes convoluted and, at the end of the day, pretty much useless. It's only earning Porsche fans some bragging rights when they head to the bar.

Further Reading

Porsche GT2 RS

Read our in-depth review of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Read our full review of the 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ}

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 63

Read our full review of the 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ63}

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster

Read up on the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster}