Manthey 911 GT3 RS

Regular 992 GT3 RS just a little unfocused, a little tame for your taste? For the full road-racer effect, you need the RS Kit by Manthey Racing

- by RICHARD MEADEN

IT SEEMS ABSURD, DOESN'T IT? HOW could anyone possibly make the 992 GT3 RS more track-capable or endow it with a meaningful increase in downforce? Moreover, who would be crazy enough to attempt it? The answer to both those questions lies in understanding this car's creator, Manthey Racing.

Something of a cult amongst fans of hardcore Porsches, Manthey is based in Meuspath, just a stone's throw from the Nordschleife's Döttinger Höhe straight. The team's record in the N24 is the stuff of legend, its seven victories (all achieved with Porsche 911s) matched only by its arch rival, Audi-supported Phoenix Racing, who scored a seventh victory for the R8 LMS last year.

Established in 1996 by successful Carrera Cup, DTM and VLN racer Olaf Manthey, the team rapidly forged a formidable reputation for winning races and making Porsche's most focused street cars that bit fiercer. Proudly independent for the best part of two decades, Manthey merged with Raeder Motorsport in 2013, with Porsche subsequently acquiring a 51 per cent stake later that same year.

This began a new era in which the factory would entrust Manthey with its GT race programme, including the World Endurance Championship. Being part of Porsche also changed the way Manthey could work on Porsche's latest models. Gone were the wild, big-bore engines with capacities from 3.9 to 4.4 litres and power outputs that exceeded 500bhp long before the factory cars managed it. In their place came upgrades for Cayman and 911 GT models that left the powertrain untouched and - crucially - preserved the standard model's homologation and factory warranty status.

These Manthey ‘Kits’ have been available through Porsche's Tequipment option catalogue since May 2021. We sampled a 992 GT3 fitted with a full Manthey package last year, when it starred in our 2024 Track Car of the Year test (