The car had a little bit of assistance from Manthey
With 700 PS and 750 Nm on tap, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is a potent piece of machinery. Add the Manthey Performance Kit to the mix and you’ll have a record-breaking car. As matter of fact, that is exactly what Porsche did with its flagship sports car, having lapped the 20.8-kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 6:43.300.
This latest feat puts the 911 GT2 RS ahead of the previous production car record holder, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, by a huge 4.747 seconds. On paper, the Black Series is a more powerful car, boasting 730 PS and 800 Nm courtesy of a front mid-mounted 4.0-litre biturbo V8 engine.
As for the GT2 RS, the Manthey Performance Kit from Porsche Tequipment provided the car with some aerodynamic edge thanks to the addition of extra flaps on the front spoiler, a carbon underbody, front wheel air guides, a new rear spoiler and diffuser, as well as rear wheel aerodiscs.
Not only that, the car was also equipped with adjustable coilovers, fade-resistant racing brake pads for the PCCB ceramic brake system and steel-encased brake lines. 20-inch front and 21-inch rear magnesium wheels wrapped in road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres helped keep the GT2 RS planted on the wavy surface of the Nordschleife.
According to Porsche, the Manthey Performance Kit is developed with race track-loving customers in mind and therefore available for purchase through Porsche Centres in Europe. Other markets will follow soon, so don’t fret.
PRESS RELEASE
Porsche has set a new lap record for road-approved production cars on the 20.8-kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife in a 911 GT2 RS fitted with the Manthey Performance Kit.
The best time of 6:43.300 minutes was achieved on 14 June, in the presence of a notary, with Porsche development driver Lars Kern at the wheel of the 515 kW (700 PS) 911 GT2 RS. The new Performance Kit was developed as part of a close collaboration between Porsche’s engineers in Weissach and Manthey’s Nordschleife specialists in Meuspath. The circuit-focused Porsche Tequipment components are sold via Porsche Centres.
Previous record for production vehicles beaten by 4.747 seconds
The plan was to beat the existing 6:48.047 road-car record. Kern achieved this with flying colours at the wheel of the 911 GT2 RS, beating the previous time by 4.747 seconds on road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, at an average speed of 185.87 km/h.
“Our GT customers often use their cars on circuit, such as on track days,” says Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Model Lines 911/718. “The engineers at Manthey and Porsche have together developed a perfectly tuned package that allows the 911 GT2 RS to deliver even higher performance.” Lars Kern broke the record despite high-summer conditions and a track temperature of 41 degrees. “The 911 GT2 RS sticks to the track like glue with the Manthey Performance Kit – you feel as if you’re in a racing car, especially on faster corners. It is truly breathtaking how the car puts its 700 PS down, and how incredibly well it brakes while always remaining easy to control,” says Kern.
The Manthey Performance Kit from Porsche Tequipment consists of chassis, aerodynamic and brake components specially developed for the 911 GT2 RS. It also includes the Weissach Package’s light magnesium alloy wheels. “The individual components of the Performance Kit are precisely matched to one another. They only become fully effective when they are all installed together. As a result, the kit is only available at the moment as a whole package. Individual offerings are currently being evaluated,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualisation and Classic at Porsche AG.
The aerodynamic components are the first things you notice. Additional flaps on the front spoiler increase downforce on the front axle in combination with a carbon underbody and additional air guide elements in the area of the front wheels. Downforce increases from 49 to 70 kilograms at 200 km/h, and on the rear axle from 93 to 200 kg at the same speed. This is made possible thanks to a new rear spoiler, a modified diffuser and aerodiscs on the rear wheels. “We are proud that Lars Kern was able to improve the lap time of the 911 GT2 RS in this way thanks to the Performance Kit, developed together with Porsche and optimised in many areas,” says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey-Racing GmbH.
Many years of motorsport experience at Porsche and Manthey
The track-optimised coilover suspension benefits from the many years of motorsport experience at Porsche and Manthey. The front shock absorbers can be adjusted to three different settings and there are four settings on those at the rear. Special racing brake pads for the PCCB ceramic brake system reduce fade, while improving responsiveness and control precision. Steel-encased brake lines ensure even more direct pedal feedback. The magnesium wheels, 20-inch diameter at the front and 21-inches at the rear, offer an 11.4 kg weight saving and are available in Brilliant Silver, Black, Aurum, White Gold Metallic and Platinum.
An additional water tank for spray-cooling of the intercoolers increases overall volume by approximately nine litres, thereby increasing the time between refills. “With these newly developed parts, we have made an extremely good car even better. The 911 GT2 RS with Manthey Performance Kit is perfectly tailored to the needs of those customers who like to take their cars on track, especially the Nürburgring Nordschleife. This 6:43.300 time for the whole lap is equivalent to 6:38.835 for the old shorter variant, so makes a real statement,” explains Andreas Preuninger, Vice President GT Cars.
Info
The Manthey Performance Kit by Porsche Tequipment is available to order now from Porsche Centres for customers in Europe. Other markets will follow in time. In addition, a Porsche Approved Warranty can now be purchased for every Porsche 911 GT2 RS with Manthey Performance Kit.
