Manthey-Racing upgrade for Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS reaches US

Manthey-Racing continues to expand its offerings in the U.S., this time with an upgrade for the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS.

Manthey is a German motorsports and engineering company with close ties to Porsche, and has in the past been tapped to oversee some of Porsche’s racing programs.

It recently entered the game of offering upgrades for some of Porsche’s road cars. The upgrades in most cases have been developed with Porsche and are available through the automaker’s showrooms, and thus won’t void the original factory warranty when installed at an approved workshop.

The upgrade for the 718 Cayman GT4 RS focuses on the aerodynamics and chassis components and reduces the already capable sports car’s Nürburgring lap time to 7:03.121, down 6.179 seconds compared to stock, according to Manthey’s own testing. In both cases the tires used were Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs.

Key among the upgrades is a new coil-over suspension with spring struts that can be adjusted to four positions, as well as adjustable rebound and compression stages. The adjustments can be made without the need for tools. The spring rates on the front suspension have also been increased by 20%.

In the area of aerodynamics, there’s a wider rear wing with four levels of adjustment, one up from stock, resulting in downforce rising to 372 pounds, up from the stock 196 pounds. And for the brakes, the engineers added steel hoses that help ensure optimal stopping power on the track. Brake pads suited for track driving are also available.

No changes have been made to the powertrain, which means the car’s 4.0-liter flat-6 generates a peak 493 hp, all of which is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The cost of the upgrade is $53,946, excluding installation. For an additional $5,890, a new front fender louver design and a larger gurney flap on the rear ductail spoiler can be added, the latter further increasing the downforce by 4%.

Interested buyers have the opportunity to try the upgrade before buying. The Porsche Experience Centers in both Atlanta and Los Angeles will offer driving programs featuring the 718 Cayman GT4 RS equipped with the upgrade.

Manthey also offers a similar upgrade for the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3, which the company launched in the U.S. last year.