Porsche has a long history of competing in motor racing. They started racing cars in 1950 and competed in F1, IndyCar and Rally events. Porsche constantly had to work on developing new technologies, new engines and new body styles to be competitive. Many racing teams will use these cars and further modify them to build what they believe to be the ultimate competition cars. Several of these teams have become famous for their success over the years, including Martini, Team PenskeKremer Racing, Joest Racing and Manthey race.
Other beneficiaries of Porsche’s racing developments have been non-racing customers. Once proven, the features will trickle down to their road cars and become available to the average Joe. This is seen in cars like the Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder, the GT3 and GT3 RS and the GT2 RS. In 2018 they introduced another such creation, the GT2 RS Clubsport, created to give customers the full racing experience on their track days. A year later, in 2019, another limited edition version, the GT2 RS Clubsport 25, was developed and made available to a select few buyers. Here are ten reasons why the Clubsport 25 is one of the most special of them all.
ten Designed and built to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Manthey-Racing GmbH
Olaf Manthey was a motor racing driver who competed in the DTM championship from 1974 until his retirement in 1993. In 1996 retired racing driver Olaf Manthey founded his own racing company specializing in Porsche cars. Seventeen years later, Porsche bought 51% stake in the company and began his official relationship with her.
Now 25 years after Manthey Racing’s association with Porsche, the two companies have teamed up to build a special car to celebrate that association. As part of the tribute, it is outfitted in the green and yellow team colors of Manthey Racing, known by fans as Grelloused on their 911 GT3 R.
9 Handcrafted and extensively tested by Manthey
Although it may be a birthday present, Manthey wasn’t just going to let Porsche take over the project. Instead, Manthey provided Porsche with the approach they wanted them to follow and the technical specifications they wanted Porsche to build. At that time they allowed creatorGrant Larson to complete the final design.
Production took place at The Manthey factory, a few kilometers from the Nürburgring. The concept car was hand-built by his team and then tested to ensure it could survive the rigors of “green hell”. Only after making sure it lived up to their mission statement, “Closer to Perfection”, did they pursue full production of the car.
8 The same GT2 RS Clubsport under the hood
The Clubsport 25 and the GT2 RS share the phenomenal 3.8L twin-turbo inline 6-cylinder engine mated to a PDK transmission. It produces 690 hp at 7,000 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. With these mechanisms, it reaches 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, covers ¼ mile in 10.1 seconds at 138 mph and has a top speed of 213 mph.
With a centrally located radiator and a more aerodynamic body kit, and reducing weight by 177 pounds, the Clubsport 25 becomes the most powerful non-legal GT customer car Porsche has ever built.
seven More similar to 935
The first Porsche 935 Clubsport was made in 1976 to be the factory racing version of the 911 Turbo. No other car could keep up with its twin-turbocharged, fuel-injected 3.3-liter flat-six that put out 845bhp. In 1982 the rules were changed and the 935 had to be retired.
In 2019, Porsche brought back the “Moby Dick”. The same engine in the GT2 RS but the body of the 935 Clubsport and Clubsport 25 is constructed from a different carbon fiber composite. The exterior is an amalgamation of historic and modern Porsche parts from cars like the 919 LMP1 Le Mans racing car, the Le Mans-winning 911 RSR, the 1960s Porsche 908, the 917, the 909 Bergspyderand the Carrera GT supercar.
6 Super efficient body design maximizes airflow and cooling
The constant optimum flow ensures that the engine can maintain the ideal temperature, the new position of the radiator protects it from unwanted contact on the track and the new front apron improves airflow.
The double-layer foils on the outer sides are reminiscent of the Grello and increase the downforce on the front axle. The shape directs the exhaust on the roof towards the rear wing, and the hood vents combined with the Porsche crest supply the cockpit with cool air.
5 High security standards
With the speed of track cars, any type of accident can be dangerous. Modern protection innovations ensure that the driver inside can survive contact with other vehicles and accidents safely and be rescued more quickly if necessary.
For starters, the Clubsport 25 has a safety cage FIA Compliant, meaning the FIA has officially approved the design. You can obtain an FIA certificate once it has been installed in the approved manner. Other features include a removable section in the carbon fiber roof, fire extinguisher system, adjustable Recaro racing seat with padding system, six-point racing harness, safety fuel cell and buckles front and rear towing.
4 Unique headlight design
Manthey Racing is famous for competing in and winning the 24-hour endurance on the Nurburgring circuit race. As the name suggests, the cars drive all day and all night to claim the trophy. Being able to drive quickly and safely for 24 hours is key to winning the race.
The Clubsport 25’s lights feature a four-stripe design inspired by those used on the Le Mans-winning 911 RSR. They have been developed specifically for this car and are particularly effective in illuminating the track. As a space saving measure, the indicators are built into the lamps and not a separate unit.
3 For track use only
While it might be fun to pull a car like Clubsport 25 off the track and drive it on public roads, it is illegal to do so. This is because track cars generally try to be as light as possible, so comfort and practicality are lost.
Track cars are designed to extract the maximum performance from the engine at all times. It would be dangerous for the average driver on a side road at 35 mph, so manufacturers are softening throttle response and dampers and using more traction control systems. Other examples of track-only cars include the Ferrari FXXK, McLaren P1 GTR and Aston Martin Vulcan.
2 Price between the GT2 RS and the modern 935
The price of a standard GT2 RS is already steep, but this is a special edition with a finite number being built. This makes it very desirable and, as you might expect, the price of these cars increases exponentially as you move up the ranks.
The car hierarchy and price progression goes from the standard GT2 RS at $293,000 to the Clubsport at $478,000, then the Clubsport 25 at $621,000 and finally the 935 which would set you back $830,000. The last three are all sold out and so buying one at auction will cost more. A bidder has already paid $1,490,148 for his 935.
1 Very exclusive
Porsche and Manthey already ended production in 2019, and only 30 of them were built. As previously mentioned, all Clubsport 25 are already spoken because, so it’s a bit debatable, but it partly explains why the price paid by buyers was so high.
To make matters worse, four of them were lost in the fire of the transport ship Grande America on the way to Brazil. Of the total originally produced, Porsche limited the number of them coming to the United States to just six.