Porsche 911 GT3 RS MR Is How to Beat an F1-Engined Hypercar With Half the Power, Maybe

Established in 1996 by former racing driver Olaf Manthey, the company has evolved into a leading motorsport service provider and manufacturer, especially renowned for its association with Porsche.

So close was the connection between the two companies that Porsche bought a 51 percent share from the company in 2013, transforming it into its official racing partner.

Following another string of successful collaborations, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer downright bought the company in 2021, not long after the racing outfit had celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Nurburgring Racing Pedigree

Manthey Racing's journey to prominence began with its association with Porsche, a collaboration that has yielded spectacular success on racetracks all over the world.

Their victories at the Nurburgring 24 Hours are particularly noteworthy, with the team clinching multiple triumphs and earning an enduring legacy at the renowned endurance event with cars like the Yellow and Green 911 RSR, affectionately known as the 'Grello.'

At the heart of Manthey Racing's legacy is the legendary Nurburgring-Nordschleife, often referred to as the 'Green Hell.' The team has extensively tested and refined Porsche vehicles on this specific circuit, and this didn't necessarily happen by chance.

The company's headquarters are situated in Meuspath, right near the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, so you can say that the Green Hell has been its home since the very beginning.

From the Racetrack to the Road

Since its connection with Porsche is now stronger than ever - after all, Manthey Racing is now officially part of the Porsche family - the company has also turned its attention to road-going models.

The company spearheads its own ventures, exemplified by the Cayman GT4 Trophy by Manthey-Racing in the Nurburgring Endurance Series (NLS), alongside the development of bespoke 'MR' packages tailored for Porsche GT racing and series production models.

Notably, the awe-inspiring and uber-powerful 911 GT2 RS received a dedicated performance enhancement kit from Manthey-Racing. During a record-setting lap at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in October 2018, with test driver Lars Kern behind the wheel, the MR version achieved a remarkable time of 6:40.3 minutes.

Nowadays, Manthey-Racing has extended the availability of the MR package across a wide range of Porsche GT models, with plenty more to come in the following years.

The War for the Green Hell Trophy

At the time of this article, the fastest-ever Nurburgring Nordschleife lap for road-going model belongs to the Mercedes-AMG One, a limited-edition hybrid hypercar built around a Formula 1 engine. In fact, there has been a cat-and-mouse game between Porsche and Mercedes-AMG regarding production car lap records on the Nurburgring in the last few years.

Coincidentally, the One had to beat the 911 GT2 RS with the MR kit to establish itself as the record holder, while the Porsche had to beat a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series for the previous lap record. With that in mind, the current all-time Nurburgring lap time record trophy for road cars is on AMG turf, and neither Porsche nor Manthey-Racing is pleased about that.

The Mercedes-AMG One makes do with 1,049 HP (1,063 PS) achieved via a complex arrangement comprising an internal combustion engine and four electric motors. Porsche doesn't have anything remotely similar in its current lineup to challenge that.

What Porsche does have is a remarkable technical platform in the form of its modern 911 GT cars, culminating with the 911 GT3 RS (992), and a team of great performance engineers at Manthey Racing.

Future Record Holder?

Spies have recently caught a Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992) dressed in a peculiar camouflage attire on and around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Unlike other prototypes spied testing, the camouflage on the model does little to hide everything new or improved on the car but does more to attract attention to it.

Look closely, and you will spot the lightweight magnesium alloy wheels specific to the Manthey-Racing package on cars like the regular 911 GT3 MR, which provide a rather impressive weight diet of 16.1 lbs (7.3 kg) per vehicle set.

More importantly, the weight reduction is made exclusively on the unsprung masses, which delivers a much-improved response of the spring and damper elements and improves vehicle control on the track.

The aerodynamic upgrades to the standard RS are not as visible, but rest assured they are there, as each MR equipment package has included aero flow optimization. Speaking of 'optimization,' you could say this is Manthey Racing's modus operandi for modifying road-going Porsches to go (much) faster on track.

For example, the MR package for the 911 GT3, available for a mouth-watering $57k, only uses a slightly larger front spoiler, some additional air control elements, and a larger rear wing. The almost invisible upgrades give the model a 30 percent increase in downforce on the front axle and a massive 45 percent increase on the rear.

Other upgrades expected from the 911 GT3 RS MR are a new coilover suspension, a new brake wire harness with a steel sleeve, and racing brake pads. MR packages don't usually provide any power upgrades for the engine, with the 'standard' 4.0-liter flat-six expected to deliver the same 518 HP (525 PS).

David versus Goliath

Compare the 911 GT3 RS' output with the 1,049 HP (1,063 PS) of the Mercedes-AMG; this is a rather one-sided fight, right? Especially since the Porsche would need to shave almost 15 seconds from its fastest Nurburgring lap to dethrone the AMG.

Well, the MR kit for the 911 GT2 RS helped the car achieve a lap time almost 9 seconds faster than the model without it, while the 911 GT3 (992) MR went over 4 seconds faster than the non-MR, so anything is possible with Manthey Racing.

Granted, the GT2 RS is a different animal. Its twin-turbocharged flat-six has almost 200 horsepower over the current GT3 RS. Still, the naturally aspirated model has even more downforce than the racecar from which it borrows its screaming engine.

We will know the result of this subtle yet massive MR upgrade for the 992 generation of the 911 GT3 RS later this year, while a Nurburgring lap time record attempt should follow soon after its official unveiling.