Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 RS Nürburgring lap proves 1250bhp isn’t enough
The 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS with the Manthey Racing kit has finally recorded an official Nürburgring time, and it makes Corvette’s 1250bhp ZR1X look a bit silly…
Our time behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS Manthey Racing has proven it to have capabilities far beyond any other road car on sale, and now Porsche has doubled down with an official Nürburgring lap. The enhanced GT3 RS achieved a time of 6:45,389 around the 12.9-mile circuit with Jörg Bergmeister at the wheel, making it considerably quicker than some much more powerful alternatives.
The car that achieved the record was fitted with fully road legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, an option for those buying the car new. This allows the car to make the absolute most of its chassis enhancements, and combined with over a ton of downforce at 177mph, sections previously impossible to run flat-out in a road car can now be covered without lifting – Pflanzgarten II to the Schwalbenschwanz, for example, is now possible flat-out. In a car with number plates…
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Jörg Bergmeister said: ‘I'm glad it finally worked out. We put so much work into the lap time that it was simply time for the weather to play along. The car was perfectly prepared, and I'm really happy with the lap. It's truly amazing how much you can achieve with the Manthey kit, especially on the fast and medium-speed sections of the track.’
What’s most significant is that while the Manthey Racing kit adds a whole lot of cutting-edge aero and chassis enhancements to the GT3 RS platform, it doesn’t add any power. Its 4-litre flat-six produces the same modest 518bhp figure as the ordinary car, and does so without the assistance of hybrid drive or forced induction. What this lap time proves is not only that Manthey Racing and Porsche know how to make a road car fast on track, but that power really isn’t everything.
Last year Corvette took its flagship ZR1X to the Nürburgring to set a lap time of its own, and with a mind-boggling output of 1250bhp, you’d expect it to pull well ahead of its rivals. The resulting 6:49,275 lap was certainly impressive, but now Porsche has proven it can eclipse that time by 3.8 seconds with well under half the power, perhaps Corvette will look to return to the drawing board.
Ford Performance did just that with its Mustang GTD, as while it had already taken over five seconds from its original 2024 Nürburgring lap time with a second attempt last year, it returned just last month with a completely overhauled car. Now called Mustang GTD Competition, it sports enhancements very similar to those seen on the GT3 RS Manthey, with aero tweaks, chassis enhancements and unlike the Porsche, more power. The result was a blistering new lap time of 06:40,835, putting it well ahead of the Porsche. The only catch is it’s a highly limited car, and one with well in excess of 800bhp.
This new lap set by the Porsche 911 GT3 RS Manthey Racing is impressive, then. Compare the time to the much more powerful 991 GT2 RS Manthey in 2021 and you’ll find the naturally aspirated GT3 RS is just a couple of seconds behind. It’s also four seconds quicker than standard GT3 RS which is no easy feat given that car is the benchmark for road-legal track cars.
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