Now that the 992.2 mid-cycle revamp of the Porsche 911 is just around the corner, the range is mature and thus includes well over 20 models. Porsche built some of these by scooping around the parts bin. And if that’s not enough for you, there are always the official Manthey Performance kits that focus on track driving while keeping the vehicles street-legal. Well, the 992 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car (partial) conversion kit we have here is a somewhat similar effort, albeit built by a third party.
This kit takes a standard 992 Porsche 911 GT3 and adds 992 GT3 Cup racer hardware. As explained by Nurburgring resident vlogger Misha Charoudin, who recently tested the kit on the Green Hell, this includes the GT3 Cup suspension, brakes, and aerodynamic bits (e.g., widebody, rear wing, etc.)
The Porsche that Misha drove on the Ring for two laps comes from Austrian exotic car rental specialist Sport Wagen Handel (SWH), whose website states this was built by “one of the best racing teams in the world”, while adding that the exhaust is also an aftermarket piece. And, in the video below, the vlogger states that SWH can also build other such vehicles for enthusiasts out there.
With this GT3 Cup kit, the car remains street-legal and gets to keep its AC—the actual Cup racer also has it—along with the infotainment, the frunk, and the more comfortable street car bucket seats—this latter feature depends on the seats you choose from the factory.
Now, while Porsche builds the 911 GT3 road car and the amateur racer 911 GT3 Cup ($275,000) at its Zuffenhausen factory, the differences between the two go deeper (more on that below). However, based on how Misha describes this conversion kit, it covers the bulk of them.
So while the Cup racer and the GT3 street car use the same N/A 4.0L flat-six with just the intake and exhaust being different, the race car gets its chassis from the Turbo, while the street car inherits it from the Carrera 4S. In addition to some smaller differences, the Cup gets a six-speed sequential gearbox, while the GT3 street car can be had with either a six-speed manual or the dual-clutch seven-speed PDK present in this example.
While pricing and the Nurburgring lap time for the 992 911 GT3 Cup conversion kit provided by SWH aren’t mentioned, we’ll list some reference points below.
992 GT3, GT3 Manthey Performance vs GT3 RS on Nurburgring
Ever since Porsche introduced the GT3 for the 996 iteration of the 911 two decades ago, this badge has stood for an intoxicating mix between daily driving and track performance. The carmaker went all out with the current 992 GT3 ($182,900 MSRP), for example fitting a double-wishbone front suspension and adding serious downforce, which tips the balance towards circuit activities a bit.
Now, if you’re looking for more, Porsche has you covered with the 992 911 GT3 RS ($241,300 MSRP), which is a different animal altogether. Then there’s the said Manthey Performance kit for the “standard” GT3 ($57,300-$72,000 plus installation). Menthey Racing is owned by Porsche and the package targets the suspension, wheels, brakes, as well as the aerodynamics of the car.
For the sake of comparison, the Porsche 992 911 GT3 with the Manthey Performance kit can lap the Nurburgring in 6:55.737s, which is 4.19s quicker than the standard GT3. As for the 992 911 GT3 RS, this needs 6:49.3s for the job.
In the clip at the bottom of the story, Misha drives the 992 911 GT3 Cup conversion kit on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, which he lists as the limiting factor. For the record, a more suitable tire for this car is the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, which is still street-legal, while the GT3 Cup race car usually runs on full slicks.
The idea of a street-legal GT3 Cup conversion kit needs further explaining
Of course, there are also other aspects to take into consideration when choosing between these 911s. For one, as Misha aptly notes in the video, having the budget for a GT3 RS and getting an allocation are two different matters. Then again, when comparing how a race car drives and is maintained, the team included, to a street vehicle, you’re clearly entering apples-vs-oranges territory.
In the end, it’s all a matter of how much you want to zoom in on your driving experience. For instance, even playing with the tire pressures on a standard GT3 can make a massive difference. And, in the case of this Cup conversion kit, the car had been set up for the smooth asphalt of the Nurburgring GP.
And with the Nordschleife being quite bumpy, when Misha did a jump at around 120 mph (193 km/h) in Pflanzgarten 2, the landing saw the suspension bottoming out and sent the car sliding a bit, which made for the icing on this Ring cake.