"The 911 generation Porsche 3 GT992 RS is a slow car" is a sentence that no one has yet uttered. Mainly because this is of course not true. Apparently, however, the engineers at German motorsport firm Manthey saw some untapped potential in the latest generation of Porsche's frenetic RS model. That's why, together with Porsche's R&D department in Weissach, they've created a new racing-focused body kit that will cost as much as €76.911 and will be sold directly through authorized Porsche dealers. It should be emphasized that this is not a completely new car, but only a body kit.
Manthey definitely put the plate that replaces the rear glass in the main role. It is made entirely of carbon fiber, which is why it is as much as 25% lighter than the glass it replaces. However, the rear window was not removed just to save weight, in fact it was simply due to the downright huge dorsal fin that runs all the way from the roof to the rear spoiler. Endurance racing and Porsche enthusiasts will notice that this is already very familiar to you from somewhere. And you're right, the dorsal fin is very reminiscent of the one seen on Porsche's 963 endurance racer. The main advantage of the dorsal fin is to provide more cornering stability, which allows you to attack corners with more confidence, which in turn also leads to higher speed and shaves precious tenths off your lap time.
But this is not the only advantage that the huge dorsal fin brings, because Manthey killed two birds with one stone with it. Since every Porsche 911 variant has a rear-axle engine, and the GT3 RS is no exception, the engine essentially draws in air in close proximity to the fin, which pushes warm air away from the radiators, so the engine draws in cooler, more oxygen-rich air. Of course, this isn't the only aerodynamic component Manthey has included, in fact, the list just starts here.
They added a pair of fender flares to the front bumper, new Gurney fenders on the tracks, and a splitter underneath, all made of carbon fiber, of course. The existing components have also been upgraded, the rear diffuser has been increased in width and received longer fins, the split rear wing has even larger end panels, and the rear wheels have received new disc covers that improve the flow of air around them. And yes, you guessed it, of course it's all made of carbon fiber.
All these aerodynamic improvements have increased downforce from the already impressive 860kg of the base GT3 RS to a downright incredible 1000kg at 285km/h. Logically, however, such a significant improvement in downforce also requires updating key suspension parts, so the Manthey body kit also includes 30% stiffer springs on the front axle and 14% on the rear axle. Of course, they didn't stop there, new shock absorbers are also included, which can be electronically adjusted between three levels of hardness.
At Manthey, however, they put up with the 525 final power that the GT3 RS produces from the factory, so the 4,0-liter flat-six engine remains unchanged. Of course, as with all Porsche RS models, everything revolves around the time set on the "green hell" - the Nürburgring. Here comes the sad news, because they haven't set the time yet at Manthey. However, they promise that the time will be "significantly improved", which will obviously have to wait a while due to the bad weather conditions in the Eifel region.
