Defending class-winner Manthey will take to the track in next weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June) sporting a one-off tribute livery in celebration of its 30th anniversary and 75 years of its partner, Porsche Motorsport.
The #91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 LMGT3 R piloted by James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven and the sister #92 The Bend Manthey entry shared by Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz will tackle the 94th edition of the legendary twice round-the-clock contest in a distinctive, heritage-infused design.
Bridging the past and the present by connecting the origin of a legacy to the current day, the custom livery incorporates visual nods to the silver Porsche 356 SL Coupé – the model that famously triumphed on the German sportscar maker’s maiden appearance in the event back in 1951, notching up the first of a staggering 112 class wins to-date.
“We are not just the record-holders for overall and class victories, but also the only manufacturer to have had at least one car on the starting grid at Le Mans without interruption since 1951,” commented Porsche Motorsport Vice-President, Thomas Laudenbach. “That statistic makes us very proud.
“It also underscores just how much Porsche relies upon motorsport as a development platform, bringing innovations to production readiness through racing engagements, including at Le Mans. They are thus ‘raceborn’ in the truest sense of the word.”
The retro-inspired colour theme is complemented by elements illustrative of Manthey’s own story at La Sarthe, which has yielded six class wins over the course of three decades of sustained success.
From a triumphant debut in 1999, another milestone followed in 2013 – the year of closer integration with Porsche AG. In its first season as the operational team for the Stuttgart marque’s GT programme in FIA WEC, Manthey immediately prevailed in the race’s LMGTE Pro division, going on to repeat the feat in both 2018 and 2022.
Following the end of factory involvement in the GTE Pro category, Manthey returned to Le Mans under its own name with the introduction of LMGT3 in 2024. Since then, it has gone undefeated – both in the French endurance classic as well as the title battle. The Eifel-based outfit heads back in search of a hat-trick, with the #92 crew ensconced at the top of the championship standings.
“We are delighted to be able to represent two special anniversaries at Le Mans,” enthused Manthey’s Racing Director, Patrick Arkenau. “The reference to Porsche’s first class victory at Le Mans marks the beginning of a unique success story, while the elements of our current cars show that we are actively shaping this story today.”
“Le Mans has always been an integral part of Manthey’s history,” echoed the team’s Managing Director, Nicolas Raeder, “from the class victory on our debut in 1999, which laid the foundation for our successful years as a Porsche works entry, right through to our current successes in the LMGT3 category. This design reflects not only our close connection to Porsche Motorsport, but also the continuity and significance of this race for our company.”
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