Manthey Porsche 911 GT2 RS Tops Corvette ZR1 at Road Atlanta With 1:22.649 Lap

5 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · May 21

A Manthey-modified 2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS set a 1:22.649 production-car lap at Road Atlanta, beating the C8 Corvette ZR1 by about two-tenths of a second.
Jörg Bergmeister drove the record run, with Porsche crediting the Manthey package's added downforce, adjustable suspension, upgraded brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires rather than extra power.
The GT2 RS kept its 700-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six, leaving it more than 300 hp short of the ZR1's 1,064-hp twin-turbo V8 and forcing the Porsche to win on cornering speed and balance.
The dealer-available Manthey kit costs $113,140 on top of the GT2 RS's original $294,250 base price, meaning the record-setting setup is far pricier than a new ZR1.
The lap gives Porsche a U.S. track-record response after Chevrolet's Corvette ZR1X and Ford's Mustang GTD had recently beaten Porsche benchmarks at the Nürburgring.

How did a 700hp Porsche manage to beat a 1,064hp Corvette at Road Atlanta?

Is a 0.2-second victory worth nearly double the price of a new Corvette ZR1?

After winning in America, is Porsche preparing to reclaim its Nürburgring crown from Ford and Chevrolet?