GT2 RS breaks Nürburgring record

It’s been the benchmark for performance cars since its inception and not that many years ago breaking the 7 minute mark for a production car was considered an astonishing lap, now sub 7 minute times have been becoming increasingly mind-boggling and the domain of only the most capable cars and test pilots.

Porsche, in the new GT2 RS, fitted with a Manthey Performance kit and driven by Porsche development driver, Lars Kern, have reaffirmed the world they are masters of this treacherous circuit.

The 515 kW (700 PS) 911 GT2 RS smashed the previous record by almost 5 seconds and this was in no small part thanks to the new Manthey Performance Kit fitted to the vehicle. Manthey are a motorsport partner of Porsche and the kit was developed as part of a close collaboration between Porsche's engineers in Weissach and Manthey’s Nordschleife specialists in Meuspath. The circuit-focused Porsche Tequipment components are sold via Porsche Centres.

The Manthey Performance Kit from Porsche Tequipment consists of chassis, aerodynamic and brake components specially developed for the 911 GT2 RS. It also includes the Weissach Package's light magnesium alloy wheels.

The plan was to beat the existing 6:48.047 road-car record. Kern achieved this with flying colours at the wheel of the 911 GT2 RS, beating the previous time by 4.747 seconds on road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, at an average speed of 185.87 km/h.

“Our GT customers often use their cars on circuit, such as on track days,” said Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Model Lines, “The engineers at Manthey and Porsche have together developed a perfectly tuned package that allows the 911 GT2 RS to deliver even higher performance." Lars Kern broke the record despite high-summer conditions and a track temperature of 41 degrees.

Porsche claim the kit affords the 911 GT2 RS even more grip to deliver a genuine race driving experience, especially on faster corners. The car can transfer it’s massive power to the track incredibly well and it brakes while always remaining easy to control.

The individual components of the performance kit are precisely matched to one another and therefore only become fully effective when they are all installed together. As a result, the kit is only available at the moment as a whole package. But more individual offerings are currently being evaluated.

The aerodynamic components are the first things you notice. Additional flaps on the front spoiler increase downforce on the front axle in combination with a carbon underbody and additional air guide elements in the area of the front wheels. Downforce increases from 49 to 70 kilograms at 200 km/h, and on the rear axle from 93 to 200 kg at the same speed. This is made possible

The track-optimised coil over suspension benefits from the many years of motorsport experience at Porsche and Manthey. The front shock absorbers can be adjusted to three different settings and there are four settings on those at the rear.

Special racing brake pads for the PCCB ceramic brake system reduce fade, while improving responsiveness and control precision. Steel-encased brake lines ensure even more direct pedal feedback. The magnesium wheels, 20-inch diameter at the front and 21-inches at the rear, offer an 11.4 kg weight saving and are available in Brilliant Silver, Black, Aurum, White Gold Metallic and Platinum.

An additional water tank for spray-cooling of the intercoolers increases overall volume by approximately nine litres, thereby increasing the time between refills.

Of course, all that engineering and enhancement is nothing without skill and we should also recognise the incredible talent and bravery of Lars Kern who was capable of extracting this record time from the vehicle.