Porsche unveils new Manthey Kit for latest 911 GT3
Think your 992.2 GT3 would be better with 540kg of downforce? Right this way...
The last time we reflected on the advantages of a Manthey Performance Kit, it was July and the opinion came direct from the sweaty palms of Matt B, post-Monza lap. Suffice it to say, his impression of the outgoing GT3 RS, replete with £100k worth of handling-fettling add-ons, was glowing. This new addition to the ever-growing pile of 911 cost options is not that, clearly, on the basis that it is attached to the updated (i.e. 992.2) GT3 - but it is very much like it, and promises to fill the void before Porsche gets around to launching an updated RS.
We say ‘void’; the current GT3, no matter which variant you opt for, is wonderfully capable on track (a place that most owners still seek out, according to Porsche) and ought to be more than sufficient for 99 per cent of buyers. But Manthey has made its reputation by catering for the 1 per cent, and if you like the idea of extracting the best possible lap time from your car - and gaining the sort of ‘circuit mode’ that delivers 540kg of downforce at 177mph - then there really is no substitute for its OEM-approved, warranty-retaining overhaul.
Most obviously, the Manthey Kit gets you all the stuff you can see at a glance: a front lip extended by 12mm, the Gurney flap and larger end plates on a wider rear wing, the longer fins in the diffuser, those carbon fibre wheel covers - yet it is the stuff hidden away that speaks to the extent of Manthey’s efforts. Porsche reckons the ‘entire underbody has been transformed into a continuous aerodynamic element’ thanks not only to the addition of a cover for the luggage compartment, but also by the so-called turning vanes, which have been extended by a metre over the production GT3.
The result, unsurprisingly, and even in ‘road mode’, is significantly more downforce (355kg at 177 mph) without, Manthey says, increasing drag. To help make the most of it, Porsche has co-developed new four-way coilovers for the GT3, which are said to be adjustable for both rebound and compression without the need for tools. The spring rates are marginally different, too (10 per cent stiffer at the front compared with the previous GT3 kit), which is apparently all that was needed to improve limit handling and ‘make the car even more stable, especially when driving over kerbs’.
Good news for those opting to add 20-/21-inch forged wheels, which you’d assume will be every Manthey Kit customer based on the 6kg saving versus the standard alloys. Braided steel brake lines are standard, though if you want racing pads for the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake system, that’ll be extra. So too a range of ‘visual accents’, which do nothing for your lap time, but certainly add to your car’s bragging rights - think LED door projectors, and carbon sill trims with Manthey lettering. Although the tow straps (available in red, yellow or black) might be worth considering.
Ditto the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, which doubtless contributed to reigning DTM champion Ayhancan Güven’s 6:52.981 lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife - slower than the 6:49.328 laid down by Jörg Bergmeister in the previous GT3 RS, but 2.76 seconds faster than the 992.1 GT3 wearing the old Manthey kit. Pretty much right where it needed to be, in other words, and in less than ideal autumnal conditions, too. "With the Manthey Kit, the 911 GT3 has once again become noticeably better in corners on the circuit," noted Güven, rather nailing it on the head. We’re told to expect availability from March next year, along with an updated lap time. Better start saving now.
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