How the Manthey Performance Kit Helped Porsche Set a New Nurburgring Lap Record

With 73 corners and a 984-foot (300-meter) difference in elevation, the legendary circuit in the western part of Germany is among the most technical in the world. It’s the ultimate proving ground for man and machine, which makes it the go-to destination for the world’s best drivers and sports car manufacturers.

On June 14, 2021, a joint team from Porsche and Manthey, highlighted by race driver and Nordschleife specialist Lars Kern, broke the production car lap record previously held by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.

Behind the wheel of a Porsche GT2 RS equipped with a Manthey Performance Kit, the German driver managed to complete a lap in 6:43.300 minutes on the 12.944-mile (20.832 km) track. On the old, shorter layout, which was used for many of the previous records, the car was clocked at 6:38.835 minutes. That made the upgraded GT2 RS about 9 seconds quicker than the stock 991.2 GT2 RS Kern drove four years ago.

For this year’s record attempt, the 690-hp engine was not upgraded in any way, so many have wondered what’s so special about this performance kit?

Part of Porsche’s official accessory list, this track-focused upgrade consists of aerodynamic, chassis, and brake components specially developed for the 911 GT2 RS.

The first thing that catches the eye is the aerodynamic components. These include additional flaps on the front spoiler that increase downforce on the front axle and work in combination with a carbon underbody and additional air guides for the front wheels. With these parts installed, the downforce in the front increases from 108 to 154 pounds (49 to 70 kg) at 125 mph (200 kph).

On the rear axle, the downforce is also tremendously higher. It grows from 58 to 124 pounds (93 to 200 kg) at the same speed thanks to a new rear spoiler, an extensively modified diffuser, and aero discs on the rear wheels, all derived from the latest motorsport innovations.

The coilover suspension also gets comprehensively upgraded. The new high-performance shocks are three-way adjustable at the front and offer four settings to choose from at the rear.

For the braking system, the package adds special racing brake pads that reduce fading while improving responsiveness and control precision. Steel-encased brake lines ensure better durability and even more direct pedal feedback.

Finally, the package also includes magnesium wheels, with a 20-inch diameter at the front and 21-inches at the rear. They make the GT2 RS 25.1 pounds (11.4 kg) lighter and are available in five different colors.

Manthey-Racing has been established 25 years ago and has a long-standing relationship with Porsche. Since 2013, the German carmaker owns a 51% stake in the company and runs its World Endurance Championship operations, among others, through the motorsport team.

In 1999, Manthey-Racing claimed the GT class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team also won this year’s 24-hour Nürburgring race for the seventh time with the latest generation 911 GT3 R driven by works drivers Kévin Estre from France, Michael Christensen from Denmark, and the Italian Matteo Cairoli.

The company based just 1.9 miles (3 km) from the Nürburgring, in Meuspath, also produces a host of performance enhancements for several track-focused Porsche models like the 718 Cayman GT4, 911 G2 RS, or 911 GT2 RS.