Porsche has a habit of doing more with less - specifically when it comes to the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS. These two track-ready sports cars borrow real motorsport learnings and consistently prove that ~500 horsepower is the sweet spot for on-track performance. Now, the Germans have done it again, and Porsche and Manthey Racing have taken a 992.1 GT3 RS around the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife seven seconds quicker than the Mustang GTD, despite a 300 hp deficit.The Mathey Racing team hasn't just beaten Ford, but the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X too, by four seconds. How Fast Was The Porsche 911 GT3 RS Manthey Kit? Porsche/Manthey Racing With Jörg Bergmeister behind the wheel, the 911 GT3 RS Manthey Kit - which, as a reminder, is still based on the pre-facelift 911 GT3 RS - lapped the Green Hell's 12.9-mile lap in 6:45.389. That's four seconds quicker than the non-Manthey version of the GT3 RS, which achieved a 6:49.328 lap time (also with Bergmeister at the helm) in 2022.The feat is mighty impressive, more so when you remember the Manthey kit is all about aero and suspension, and doesn't change the 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six's 518 hp and 342 lb-ft of torque. And somehow it becomes even more impressive when you look at the cars this GT3 RS has beaten around the famed German circuit: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series - 6:48.047 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X - 6:49.275 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ - 6:49.42 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 - 6:50.763 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - 6:51.45 Ford Mustang GTD - 6:52.072Porsche/Manthey Racing As of the time of this writing, only two road-legal production cars have gone quicker than this 518-hp Porsche, those being Manthey's own 911 GT2 RS (6:43.300) and the car powered by a Formula 1 engine, the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar (6:29.090)."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."- Jörg Bergmeister, Porsche Brand Ambassador and test and development driver Rivals Could Already Be Willing To Strike Back Porsche and Manthey Racing have every right to celebrate this incredible achievement, but both Ford and Chevrolet won't go down without a fight. UPDATE: 2026/04/17 6:05 EST Ford Mustang GTD Competition announced with even quicker Nurburgring lap time.Just hours after Porsche and Manthey Racing announced this lap time, Ford has responded with the Mustang GTD Competition going even quicker. This updated version of the GTD has been confirmed to have lapped the 'Ring in 6:40.83, 11 seconds quicker than its previous best effort. However, this was set under the 'Prototypes/Pre-Production Vehicles' category. Per Ford, it "will be offered in the future as a special edition, street legal model available in strictly limited, serialized quantities," but for now remains a prototype vehicle.Chevrolet, meanwhile, has an ace up its sleeve. The times set in both the ZR1 and ZR1X were achieved by test engineers, not actual race drivers like Bergmeister for Porsche and Dirk Müller for Ford. Nürburgring experts believe the ZR1 could lap the circuit well below 6:40 with a professional driver at the wheel.And one can't forget Mercedes-AMG, either, who just recently announced a new AMG GT Black Series being developed alongside an AMG GT3 race car, with both to be powered by an all-new V8 engine.Porsche can't be ruled out, though, as this record was achieved in a 992.1 generation GT3 RS. The facelifted 992.2 is still incoming, and even without Manthey's assistance, it's going to be a monster. And then there's the turbocharged GT2 RS on the way too. The Key To Manthey's Dominance Isn't Power Porsche/Manthey Racing Unlike the other cars mentioned above, which make do with 800 horsepower or more (the AMG GT Black Series' power remains a mystery for now but should be in excess of 800 hp), the 911 GT3 RS Manthey Kit makes do with the stock car's 528 hp and rear-wheel drive. The secret sauce here is all in the aerodynamics department, and maybe in the rubber department too. On the latter front, the car was equipped with the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, which are effectively road-legal but only barely.However, it's Manthey's mastery of airflow that gives it the biggest advantage. The kit enables the GT3 RS to produce 2,204 lbs of downforce at 177 mph; the stock car only manages 1,895 lbs at the same speed. That's thanks to a reprofiled front spoiler, redesigned wheel arch Gurney flaps, and dive planes to keep the front axle pinned to the ground.Porsche/Manthey Racing It also ditches the rear windshield in favor of a lightweight carbon fiber panel weighing 25% less than the glass it replaces, sports a sharkfin aero device to manipulate airflow, and feeds air through to an even larger rear wing, with active aero capability. The result is 20% more downforce with no additional drag.Other tweaks include semi-active adjustable coilover suspension with revised spring rates and a high-performance braking system with stainless steel brake lines. And it pays to remember that this isn't some aftermarket nonsense, this is available to order directly from Porsche with the factory warranty intact.But at $125,000, that means you're paying over $30,000 per second improvement around the Nürburgring. Is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not. But it once again proves that there's more to a sports car than outright power. Bravo, Porsche. Bravo, Manthey Racing!911gt3rs-mantheykit-laptime-4
