Porsche isn’t a stranger to the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the company has set a new lap record for the fastest street-legal car.
Earlier this month, a 911 GT2 RS equipped with the Manthey Performance Kit was able to lap the Green Hell in 6:43.300. That beat the previous record of 6:48.047 – which was apparently set by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series – by 4.747 seconds around the 20.8-kilometre (12.944 mile) circuit. At the time, AMG had said it recorded a time of 6:43.616 in the old 12.8-mile layout.
While the kit isn’t standard, it was developed in close collaboration with the automaker and is sold by Porsche Tequipment. It features a number of aerodynamic components including additional flaps on the front spoiler, a modified diffuser, a unique spoiler and “aerodiscs” for the rear wheels. Thanks to these changes, the model produces an additional 46.3 lbs (21 kg) of downforce up front and an extra 235.9 lbs (107 kg) of downforce out back, at speeds of 124 mph (200 km/h).
The upgrades don’t end there as the package also includes 20- / 21-inch magnesium wheels, which are backed up by a ceramic composite braking system with steel-encased lines and special racing pads. There’s also a “track-optimized” coilover suspension with adjustable shock absorbers.
The record was broken by Porsche development driver Lars Kern, who remarked “The 911 GT2 RS sticks to the track like glue with the Manthey Performance Kit – you feel as if you’re in a racing car, especially on faster corners.” He added, “It is truly breathtaking how the car puts its 690 hp (515 kW / 700 PS) down, and how incredibly well it brakes while always remaining easy to control.”
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His sentiments were echoed by Frank-Steffen Walliser, who is the vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, as he remarked “The engineers at Manthey and Porsche have together developed a perfectly tuned package that allows the 911 GT2 RS to deliver even higher performance.” He noted the package is a worthwhile upgrade as many of Porsche’s GT customers use their cars on the track.