We say ‘void’; the current GT3, whichever variant you choose, is wonderfully capable on the track (a place Porsche says most owners are still looking for) and should be more than sufficient for 99 percent of buyers. But Manthey has earned its reputation by looking after that 1 percent, and if you like the idea of getting the best possible lap time out of your car – and getting the kind of ‘track mode’ that delivers 540kg of downforce at 300km/h – then there’s really no substitute for the OEM-approved, warranty-retained rebuild.
Most obviously, the Manthey Kit gives you everything you can see at a glance: a front lip extended by 12mm, the Gurney flap and larger endplates on a wider rear wing, the longer fins in the diffuser, those carbon fiber hubcaps – but it’s the hidden things that reflect the scale of Manthey’s efforts. Porsche believes the ‘entire underbody has been transformed into a continuous aerodynamic element’, thanks not only to the addition of a luggage compartment cover, but also to the so-called turning vanes, which have been extended by one meter compared to the production GT3.
The result is, unsurprisingly, and even in ‘road mode’, significantly more downforce (355kg at 300km/h) without, says Manthey, increasing drag. To get the most out of it, Porsche has co-developed new four-way coilovers for the GT3, which are said to be able to be adjusted for both rebound and compression without the need for tools. The spring rate is also marginally different (10 percent stiffer at the front compared to the previous GT3 kit), which was apparently all that was needed to improve handling and “make the car even more stable, especially when driving over curbs.”
Good news for those who choose to add 20/21-inch forged wheels, which you’d assume will be every Manthey Kit customer, based on the 6kg saving over the standard alloys. Braided steel brake lines are standard, but if you want racing pads for the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake system, they are extra. That includes 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 scuff plates with Manthey lettering. Although the tow straps (available in red, yellow or black) may be worth considering.
Ditto the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, which undoubtedly contributed to reigning DTM champion Ayhancan Güven’s lap time of 6:52.981 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife – slower than Jörg Bergmeister’s 6:49.328 in the previous GT3 RS, but 2.76 seconds faster than the 992.1 GT3 with the old Manthey equipment. In other words, pretty much exactly where it needed to be, and in less than ideal fall conditions, too. “With the Manthey Kit, the 911 GT3 has once again become noticeably better in the corners on the track,” Güven noted, quite nailing it on the head. We’re told we can expect availability from March next year, along with an updated lap time. Better start saving now.
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