Some new cars don’t bother with a rear wiper blade. Then others, like the Polestar 4, don’t bother with a rear window. Now we can add the Porsche 911 GT3 RS to the short list of vehicles averse to visibility. The newest Manthey Kit fully replaces the rear window with a carbon fiber covering, among other performance upgrades.
The 911 GT3 RS is a street-legal track weapon. But it’s also good for mundane things like, you know, airport shuttle service. Between the track and tarmac, if you’re simply craving downforce all the time, Porsche has a new add-on package just for you.
The Manthey Kit is more than a bolt-on kit featuring a massive rear wing, though it’s got one of those, too. Developed by the Porsche Development Center in Weissach and the Manthey Racing in Meuspath, the latest Manthey Kit engineering collab adds extensive aerodynamic, braking, and suspension components to the already capable 911 GT3 RS.
The most noticeable visual change is in the rear. As an unwritten requirement of every performance kit, a large carbon fiber DRS wing outfitted with equally large end plates is reinforced in the rear. If you’re concerned about rear sight lines from the sun-blocking spoiler, pfft. Don’t worry about that.
Everything behind you will be blocked and dutifully forgotten because the rear window is swapped out for a shark fin-mounted carbon panel for cornering stability. Glass is heavy, anyway. The carbon fiber eye patch is 25 percent lighter, so the weight savings will do wonders for fuel efficiency (and speed).
There is no shortage of carbon fiber and fins with the Manthey Kit. Added bits include six more roof fins, a wider rear diffuser with, you guessed it, longer carbon fins, and carbon fiber “aerodisc” wheel covers for the rear wheels. In the front are additional air guides, a new front spoiler lip with carbon fiber rods, and redesigned wheel arch Gurney flaps.
All in all, the optimized airflow results in more than 1,000 kg (2,204 lb) of downforce at 285 km/h (177 mph) without increasing drag. The standard 992 GT3 RS produces 860 kg (1,895 pounds) at those speeds, which itself is staggering. But perfect for those medium- and high-speed corners.
Of course, there’s more. The suspension has been tuned to accommodate the downforce. Spring rates of the semi-active coilovers were increased by 30 percent in the front and by 15 percent in the rear. New dual-valve independently-controlled shock absorbers and additional sensors (one at each wheel and three on the body) aid a new control unit in automatic damper tuning.
We can’t forget the brakes. The Manthey Kit features steel-sheathed brake lines, which add a more direct pedal feel as well as quicker response times. For vehicles equipped with the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake, racing brake pads are offered as an option.
The 911 GT3 RS Manthey Kit can now be ordered, with deliveries in European and U.K. markets starting in January, followed by other markets in March. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet for the U.S., but in the U.K., the Manthey Kit starts at GBP 99,999, or $125,357 at today’s exchange rate. And that’s on top of the 911 GT3 RS’s starting price of $244,995 (including destination and gas guzzler tax). Hey, at least the Manthey Kit won’t void the vehicle warranty.