Manthey Racing celebrates 30 years with 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30; Porsche increases stake in Manthey Racing

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Manthey Racing 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30
Photo: Manthey Racing

Manthey presented two special edition race cars to mark its 30th anniversary: the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30. Each model is limited to 15 units, for a total of 30 cars. Both made their world debut on 9 October 2026 at the DTM finale at Hockenheim.

Manthey said the cars reflect a development approach it has followed since its foundation. Technical solutions come from the demands of motorsport, are tested in competition on its “home track”, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and on other international circuits, and are refined continuously. The two MR 30 models combine the results of numerous in-house developments into the most advanced versions to date of two vehicle ranges that have shaped the company’s Race Cars division for many years. Manthey said they push the technical boundaries beyond motorsport regulations.

“We are delighted to be able to present two further special highlights at the end of our anniversary year: the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30,” emphasizes Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH. “Both cars exemplify the way development takes place at Manthey: driven by specific customer requirements and motorsport projects. They were not created to celebrate an anniversary, but to be used on the racetrack. The fact that we are now able to offer the results of these two development paths as limited-edition special models makes them a particularly fitting way to conclude our 30th anniversary year.”

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR 30

Manthey Racing 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30
Photo: Manthey Racing

Development of the 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 builds on a line of cars dating back to Manthey’s early years. In Olaf Manthey’s early projects for the 996 and 997 generations, engine modifications were among the measures used to refine existing vehicle concepts. The later Cup MR line shifted the focus to combined development of aerodynamics, suspension, cooling, and vehicle balance, aiming for a performance level between the 911 GT3 Cup and the 911 GT3 R. The MR 30 combines both approaches for the first time.

The car is based on a fully revised Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992.1). It uses a water-cooled 4.2-litre six-cylinder boxer engine, and the larger displacement brings output to 560 PS (412 kW). Power goes to the rear axle through a sequential six-speed gearbox.

An aerodynamics and cooling package already used in customer racing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife complements the engine. The underlying development stage lapped the 24.358-kilometer NLS track configuration in 7:58.605, with lower power output. The front end, including the wings and bonnet, as well as the rear bodywork, wheel arch extensions, rear lid, and rear wing, is made from recycled carbon fiber (CfK) and designed to optimize airflow and increase downforce.

As on earlier Cup MR generations based on the 991.1 and 991.2 cars, the MR 30 uses a central radiator layout. Manthey says this improves exhaust airflow and reduces the risk of radiator damage in a collision. Brake cooling has also been optimized, with significantly enlarged air inlets that reduce thermal strain on the components and extend their operating life.

Further aerodynamic changes include a front splitter with an integrated underbody, additional flics, and a newly developed rear wing with enlarged end plates and modified mounting. The end plates carry an exclusive “30 Years of Manthey” design. The new mounting allows an aerodynamically optimized air intake to be integrated, a concept already used on the 911 GT3 Cup MR (991.2).

Wheel arch extensions widen the track by 20 millimeters at the front and 50 millimeters at the rear. A lightweight wheel set, made in Manthey’s own forged wheel production facility and carrying an exclusive 30th-anniversary design, saves a further 3.8 kilograms. The suspension features a coilover system adjustable in six directions, with optimized spring rates and modified front and rear axle kinematics. Inside, anniversary details include a bespoke “30 Years of Manthey” badge and anniversary lettering embroidered into the seats.

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30

Manthey Racing 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30
Photo: Manthey Racing

The 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30 brings together a decade of Cayman-based race car development at Manthey. It also marks the end of a platform that has strongly influenced the Race Cars division over that period.

The line began with the homologation kit Manthey developed for the first Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (981), which enabled the car to compete in GT4 series worldwide. Manthey also launched the “Cayman GT4 Trophy by Manthey Racing”, now the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, to give the car a platform on the Nordschleife. Further projects followed on the mid-engined 981 and 718 generations, including the Trackday MR, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Leichtbau and customer racing developments for the Nordschleife.

The MR 30 draws on this history through extensive use of lightweight materials and a comprehensively revised aerodynamic design. Carbon fiber bodywork and a lightweight wheel set, developed for this edition and made in-house, cut weight by 5.7 kg compared with the base model, helping the 500 PS race car reach its maximum performance. The carbon fiber parts include fenders with lightweight headlights, a bonnet with a central radiator vent, a front bumper and front splitter, and a redesigned rear section with a rear bumper, a boot lid with a lightweight window, and a rear wing. A carbon diffuser and additional front flics add downforce.

Like the Cup MR 30, the car uses a central radiator layout alongside optimized brake cooling. Its brake air ducts are derived from developments on the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport EVO. The development stage the special edition is based on has been tested and refined under racing conditions, including a top-20 overall finish at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring.

Anniversary details include wing end plates with the “30 Years Anniversary” logo, a “30 Years Manthey” badge bearing the car’s limited-edition number, and headrests with the anniversary logo.

Jan-Helmut Brakhage, Director Race Cars at Manthey, said: “30 years of Manthey means three decades of experience in global motorsport, three decades of development and three decades of total enthusiasm for our products. We want to express this through these two special edition models. The 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30 is the flagship of the mid-engine racing car that has enjoyed success for over 10 years. A vehicle concept we were privileged to help shape, and one we are celebrating appropriately at the end of the model range. With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR 30, we continue developing our Cup MR vehicles. The increased engine displacement gives the car a further performance boost and rounds out the overall package of aerodynamics and lightweight construction. In doing so, we are linking the development work from the company’s beginnings with the present day. Both car models incorporate the insights we have gained over the last thirty years and embody what has been our focus ever since: maximum drivability and pure emotion.”

Both models carry a design created for the anniversary year. The show cars combine a white base with red accents and a reworked streamlined design, and the Cup MR 30’s chassis is also painted white, inspired by historic Porsche race cars. The colors refer to Manthey’s corporate colors, and the graphics reflect the anniversary theme of linking heritage and the future.

The design draws on the anniversary livery of the number 911 car Manthey fielded at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. Manthey describes it as a further development of familiar design elements rather than a retrospective, and says it previews a design language for future racing programs and development projects.

Each model will be built in a run of 15 cars, for a total of 30. Order requests are open until 30 October 2026, after which Manthey will make the final allocation. Deliveries of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30 begin in November 2026, and the 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 follows in the first quarter of 2027.

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Written by
Carlos Miguel Divino

Carlos Miguel Divino

Senior Writer

Carlos has lived and breathed cars his entire life. His abundant wealth of knowledge, extensive seat time on the world's best driving roads, and unsatiable curiosity for anything with wheels all mesh together to produce works of passion. IG: @cmdrives.ph Email: [email protected]

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