The Mercedes-AMG GT R set a lap time of 7min 10.92sec to officially become the fastest rear-wheel-drive production car to have lapped the Nürburgring.

Driven by Christian Gebhardt of Germany’s Sport Auto magazine, the AMG GT R shaved over six-tenths of a second off the previous record time held by the Gumpert Apollo Speed. It is also a significant 10.71sec faster than the fastest time recorded by a Ferrari 488 GTB at the Nürburgring.

The track-focused version of AMG’s sports coupé wore a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres – standard fitment on the model – and uses a heavily reworked version of the AMG GT’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine. It produces 585hp and 700Nm, and can complete the 0-100kph sprint in 3.6sec.

The model also wears aerodynamic addenda, including a larger front splitter and carbon fibre rear wing that works with a wider body to give an added 155kg of downforce at 319kph. The 911 GT3 RS rival also features an active diffuser element mounted within the underbody that motors forward by 40mm above 80kph in Race mode and is claimed to reduce front axle lift by 40kg at 249kph.

International sales for the Mercedes-AMG GT R kicked off last month. However, deliveries are not expected to begin until April 2017.