When, somehow, a standard Porsche 911 GT3 RS isn't enough for you, there's Manthey Racing. The Porsche-owned, Nürburgring-based racing firm develops handling kits for various Porsche Motorsport road cars, all with the aim of upping mechanical and aerodynamic grip. Its upgrade package for the new 911 GT3 RS is its most extreme yet. And it's really not cheap.
Porsche confirmed both US availability and $116,160 price for the GT3 RS kit on Wednesday. That's before installation and taxes. A base 911 Carrera costs $122,095 on its own, so this package adds an entire 911's cost to the $244,995 GT3 RS. And that's if you can even get a GT3 RS at anything near MSRP.
You do get a huge wing for all that. It retains the DRS functionality of the regular GT3 RS wing, and gets much larger endplates. Manthey also replaces the rear glass with a carbon-fiber panel with a large fin that diverts the hot air from the big radiator up front, making sure the engine aspirates the coolest air possible. There are also additional fins on the roof, and up front, Manthey installs a larger splitter and adds dive planes. At the back, the diffuser gets larger strakes, too. All that, plus other tweaks, increases downforce by 20 percent, and Porsche quotes a maximum of 2,200 pounds at 177 mph. Remarkably, this doesn't come at the expense of drag.
Manthey tweaks the suspension, too, with new coilovers running stiffer spring rates, and new adaptive dampers that allow for faster control of damping forces. They work with the GT3 RS's steering-wheel adjustments, so you can tailor the car's handling to your preferences. Rounding things out is braided steel brake lines, which improve pedal feel. You can also add carbon-fiber aero discs to the rear wheels, and a Manthey-branded towing eye in your color of choice.
While Porsche and Manthey haven't yet run a Nürburgring hot lap with this GT3 RS kit yet, expect it to be at least a few seconds quicker than the standard car's 6:49.32. It's a lot of money for what will ultimately be an incremental performance gain, but if you're looking for the ultimate road-going Porsche track car, this is it.
Porsche also announced today that it's selling the Manthey handling kit for the older 991 GT2 RS. It gets similar aero and suspension upgrades, though ultimately, it doesn't make nearly as much downforce as the GT3 RS with or without the kit. But with over 700 horsepower, you'll be able to make up for it on the straights. Price before tax or installation is $113,140.
Gallery: Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Manthey kit
