Tag: GT2

Why Does F1 Ace And Le Mans Champ Nico Hulkenberg Drive a Porsche GT2 RS MR?

I mean, why not?

After spending your entire life racing very quick, lightweight, and unbelievably agile vehicles, your standards rise to stratospheric levels. For that reason, it grows harder and harder to enjoy a capable road car—even a very quick one—as it usually feels incredibly lethargic in comparison to that incisive single seater or prototype. For this reason, you often see F1 and Le Man aces driving dull, everyday, practical vehicles to and from the tracks; something reasonably quick like a GT-R can’t always cut the mustard.

Thankfully, there are still a few road-going vehicles that can thrill and challenge the seasoned veteran.

In this case, it’s Nico Hulkenberg’s 991 GT2 RS which gets our attention. When the world’s most desirable free agent driver arrived at this year’s Eifel Grand Prix in his silver RS, Porschephiles took notice. If the quickest production-series Porsche can find its way into Hulkenberg’s stable, it must offer something few street cars do. Well, actually, to meet Hulk’s lofty standards, it needed a little help from a reputable Porsche racing shop: Manthey Racing.

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This “emotional” purchase didn’t remain stock for long. Spurred on by Chris Harris’ Portimao review of the Manthey-tuned GT2 RS MR, Hulk shelled out the $103,000 needed for the following modifications:

  • KW 3-Way Dampers
  • Michelin Cup 2 R tires
  • new brake pads
  • lighter wheels
  • TUV-compliant canards
  • redesigned underbody floor
  • aero curtains in the wheelarches
  • a gurney flap on the engine lid
  • different wing endplates
  • a larger wing at a steeper angle
  • taller wing supports
  • a larger rear diffuser

“When you drive and the car is really at its limits, then you smile and then you know why (you purchased it),” says Hulk. Photo credit: Manthey Racing

It’s Manthey’s motorsports-bred modifications that give the driver the ability to lean on the GT2 RS in a way the standard machine, grippy as it is, simply cannot support. With shorter braking distances, greater aerodynamic grip, a more reassuring balance, and even more turn-in grip, a seasoned veteran used to the immediacy of well-tuned throughbreds can find real reward in pushing this relatively porky and semi-practical Porsche.

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Which is the Right 996 for You? A Primer on the Unloved Generation

Love it or hate it, the 996 in undeniably good value nowadays. With the more common models, the price point allows young enthusiasts to join the proud family of 911 owners. The GT range and more tech-heavy examples still command considerable money, and that’s for good reason. At the top of the 996 totem pole are the GT3 and GT2, and those two continue to impress the most discerning drivers. The first of which is a bonafide homologation special—particularly the torquier 996.2 GT3. Take that GT recipie, add a pair of turbos and a little more rearward bias, and the resulting GT2 is still renowned as one of the most exhilarating—read: fearsome—machines to leave Stuttgart in recent years. So, with so much variety in the 996 lineup, maybe a little more research is required before the entire generation is condemned.

The 996 came from semi-pedestrian C2s to Mezger-powered Turbos, cabriolets with two- and four-wheel drive, a variety of bodyshapes, distinctive and divisive lights, and wings of varying sizes. In watching the following primer, you’ll acquire a strong foundation on most of the members of this generation. With any luck, you might just develop a fondness for the redheaded stepchild of this illustrious family.

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Different Strokes

The criticism aimed at those broken-egg headlights shouldn’t dissuade a curious collector from trying a lightweight 996.1 C2—anyone looking for speed can certainly find some with this 2,900-lb joy. Those come in for as little as $15,000 these days. For those willing to spend three times that money, the frighteningly fast Turbo offers all-weather performance, greater reliability from its stout Mezger motor, and nearly 200 miles per hour.

Engine sizes, horsepower, and type of IMS bearing (single or dual) is listed here.

Use this as a introduction to the generation. Further research is required if one wants to avoid some of the hangups associated with these cars—even the famously resilient Turbos have issues with their coolant lines. The plague of IMS bearings keeps others from participating in the party at all, but that’s a mistake. With some research, a modest maintenance fund, and the right eye, one can enjoy a surprising amount of rear-engined relief for a forgivable fee.

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