Porsche Introduces Revised Manthey Aero Kit for GT3

The Porsche GT3 is a quick car by anyone’s standards. This is particularly true of its ability to lap a circuit, often punching above its class. But, there is always a little more left on the table when a car goes to production. That’s where company’s such as Porsche subsidiary Manthey come in. The racing company has just unveiled a revised Manthey Aero Kit for GT3 models of the 992.2 generation. The new Manthey Kit was developed in collaboration between the Porsche and the Manthey.

For more than a year, we worked with the Porsche engineers to develop the new Manthey Kit for the 911 GT3 and did a lot of detailed work in the wind tunnel. We also tested it over several thousand kilometres on European racetracks and on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Since the track conditions were challenging at critical points when setting the official lap time, we will make another attempt next year in better weather to demonstrate the full potential of the Manthey Kit
– Nicolas Raeder, managing director of Manthey Racing GmbH

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Fine Tuning

The standard 911 GT3 has already benefitted from Porsche’s extensive competition experience. The aerodynamics of the 911 GT3 have been further optimised for track use. The entire underbody has been transformed into a continuous aerodynamic element. The air deflector elements on the underbody have been extended by one metre, to 1.5 m. The front lip has been redesigned and extended forward by 12 mm. Special front diffusor fins in the front underbody and flaps attached to the sides of the vehicle increase downforce at the front axle.

In addition, the wing of the 911 GT3 is wider and now features a Gurney flap. The end plates have been enlarged and are curve inwards. The rear diffuser, featuring longer fins, increases downforce without increasing drag. The carbon-fibre wheel covers at the rear reduce drag. Overall, downforce is greatly increased while drag remains the same. At 285 km/h, the 911 GT3 with Manthey Kit in road mode produces 355 kg of total downforce. Downforce increases to a whopping 540 kg at 285 km/h in circuit mode.

Better Suspension

To make better use of the added aero, the kit includes new four-way coilover suspension. The new suspension increases mechanical grip and makes the car even more stable, especially when driving over kerbs. In addition, lightweight 20- and 21-inch forged wheels are available as an option. These reduce unsprung mass by 6 kg over the standard wheels. As a result the 911 GT3 lapped the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in 6 min 52,981 minutes – about 2,8 seconds faster than its predecessor with the Manthey Kit. Keep in mind, there has been no change to the drivetrain.

“The significantly higher downforce and the optimised suspension make the car very easy to control and provide the driver with even more confidence. Unfortunately, the lap time wasn’t ideal, as the autumn weather meant that the track was still damp in some places and therefore very slippery – otherwise we could have shaved off a few more seconds,” said reigning DTM champion Ayhancan Güven who set the lap time.