This year’s New York Auto Show is packed with crazy concept cars, stunning wagons, and rare metal, but sometimes it’s the familiar machines that leave the biggest impression. Case in point: a red Porsche 911 GT3 RS fitted with the Manthey Racing Kit. It's arguably the most extreme road-legal 911 that's ever been built, and we got to see it up close and personal at the 2026 New York Auto Show.Aerodynamics Taken To The Extreme Even in standard form, the GT3 RS has earned its “winged monster” nickname, especially once fitted with the Weissach package. Manthey follows that philosophy and takes it to a whole new level. The kit adds a more aggressive front lip with canards, wheel arch gurneys, underbody tweaks, rear aerodiscs, roof fins, and an even gnarlier diffuser. The standout feature remains the gargantuan carbon fibre rear wing with a massive shark fin and a drag reduction system (DRS). Altogether, the package generates over 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs) of downforce at 285 kph (177 mph), allowing it to lap tracks even faster.Under The Skin The kit does more than alter aerodynamics. Although the GT3 RS retains its original 518-hp naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine, Manthey Racing tinkers with its driving dynamics. The chassis has been reworked thanks to a semi-active coilover suspension system that increases spring rates by up to 30% that allows for more precision when driving on the limit. Braking has also been improved with optional steel-braided lines for a more consistent pedal feel, along with race-focused pads designed to handle sustained high temperatures.A Road-Legal Track Weapon Despite all this, the car remains road legal, which is what makes the Manthey Kit even more impressive. Seeing it in person at the New York Auto Show just reminded us what a massive impact these upgrades have on its real-world performance around a track. The current GT3 RS Manthey Racing car is yet to set an official Nurburgring lap time, but we have times from the not-so-serious 991-generation GT3 for reference. The pre-facelift 911 GT3 equipped with a Manthey Racing kit clocked a time of 6 minutes 55.74 seconds, just 6 seconds behind the untouched GT3 RS.Autocar lapped Silverstone in 2 minutes and 11.15 seconds – 2 seconds quicker than the standard GT3 RS. The company also makes a kit for the Taycan and 911 S/T. And once the facelifted GT3 RS hits the market, we're sure to see another Manthey Racing kit hit the scene, and do what Porsche is too afraid to do: Make it less aesthetically appealing in favor of on-track performance.
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