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Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS is already a benchmark for road-legal track cars, but a factory-approved Manthey Racing conversion has pushed that recipe further towards circuit obsession. Recent track runs and road testing show the kit adds measurable grip and composure at speed — changes that matter if you plan to spend time on the Nordschleife or in timed club events.
Manthey Racing, founded by Olaf Manthey and long established at the Nürburgring’s doorstep, has turned the 992 GT3 RS into a more focused racer while keeping it road-legal and Porsche-approved through the Tequipment catalogue. The upgrade is substantial yet surgical: it leans on aerodynamics, suspension rework and braking hardware rather than power increases.
What Manthey changes, briefly
- More downforce — roughly 1000kg at 177mph versus the standard car’s figure, achieved without an increase in drag.
- Revised chassis — stiffer springs (about +30% front, +15% rear) and re-valved, semi-active dampers with separate bump and rebound control.
- Brake hardware — braided lines and new pad compounds for crisper pedal feel under sustained use.
- Aero additions — enlarged splitter and diffuser, roof vanes, rear-wheel covers, big wing endplates and the carbon centre “sail” or shark fin.
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The conversion package is extensive: every component is intended to work as part of an integrated system. Manthey’s approach concentrates on stability and predictable behaviour at the limit rather than chasing outright horsepower, which remains at the standard 518bhp to meet emissions and durability targets.
How the aero works
Many of the details are deceptively small but important. The larger wing endplates incorporate vents that relieve pressure in critical zones, and trimmed trailing corners reduce turbulent wake — tweaks developed in CFD and validated in the wind tunnel. Replacing the rear glass with a carbon panel that carries the fin saves mass and increases high-speed stability.
Michael Grassl at Manthey points out that the rear-wheel covers do more than look purposeful: they prevent high-pressure air from escaping from the underfloor into the wheel arches, improving the diffuser’s efficiency and the wing’s overall performance.
On track: Monza impressions
At Monza, with its long straights and heavy braking, the MR-converted car and the standard GT3 RS showed different strengths. The Manthey car felt calmer and more composed in the mid-speed sections and through complex sequences such as Variante Ascari and the Lesmo turns. In practice this meant earlier throttle application, slightly later braking and more stable corner exits — marginal gains that add up on repeated laps.
Tyre choice plays a part: the Manthey runs can be fitted with Cup 2 R tyres that deliver very high peak grip for a lap or two, but they require careful management. Manthey’s technicians warmed the tyres and planned outlap pace so drivers could exploit the brief window of peak performance without overheating them.
Some dramatic moments were a reminder of the environment: a short-lived puff of smoke and a small flame from a fellow RS turned out to be rubber debris igniting briefly on hot exhaust surfaces, not a mechanical failure. It shows how intense, close-quarters track running can be for road-derived sports cars.
What the kit delivers in numbers and feeling
Measured performance gains are modest but meaningful. One timed comparison around a 1.55-mile test lap showed a best of 1:09.9 for the Manthey car — about 1.3 seconds quicker than a like-for-like standard RS on the same circuit. On the Nürburgring the configuration has produced a published time of 6:45.389, roughly four seconds faster than the unmodified car, illustrating where the package best reveals itself: bumpy, high-speed tracks with heavy braking zones and complex corners.
The changes are subtle on smooth circuits such as Monza where the standard GT3 RS already behaves superbly, but the kit’s real value appears on circuits that punish suspension control, where the semi-active dampers and tuned spring rates keep the tyres planted and braking consistent lap after lap.
How it behaves on the road
Despite its race-bred upgrades, the Manthey RS remains usable on public roads. The cabin is largely unchanged apart from Manthey sill plates and the lighter rear panel, but visibility is reduced rearwards by the wing and fin; many owners opt to add a rear-facing camera. Ride comfort is firmer across all settings, though the car’s steering, brakes and overall responsiveness remain impressive in everyday driving — and the aerodynamic aids can be noticed on quick lane-change manoeuvres at high speed.
For many drivers the car’s visual impact is part of the package: the conversion draws attention and underlines that this is not a discreet upgrade. Yet the engineering purpose behind the styling is clear when the car is pushed; the Manthey recipe trades a degree of comfort for a more connected, composed high-speed experience.
Who should consider it?
The Manthey kit is aimed squarely at customers who will use their GT3 RS on track, especially on demanding circuits like the Nürburgring. If you spend most days on urban streets and A-roads, the standard RS already offers exceptional performance and a more forgiving ride. But for those chasing lap times, greater aerodynamic stability and a sharper chassis response, the conversion is a logical — if costly — step.
| Engine | Flat-six, 3,996cc |
|---|---|
| Power | 518bhp @ 8,500rpm |
| Torque | 343lb ft @ 6,300rpm |
| Weight | c. 1,425kg |
| Tyres (standard) | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (optional Cup 2 R) |
| 0–62mph | 3.2s |
| Top speed | 177mph |
| Price (indicative) | c. £190,000 plus Manthey conversion c. £100,000 |
The Manthey package is not an across-the-board transformation so much as a focused enhancement for a specific purpose: extracting more speed and confidence from a car already engineered to the limit. For dedicated track drivers the upgrade feels coherent and effective; for everyone else, the unmodified GT3 RS remains an exceptional and better-rounded sports car.
