Manthey EMA
Manthey Racing is Porsche's most celebrated tuning and racing partner — a German company that has developed some of the fastest versions of the Porsche 911 ever built. They hold the Nürburgring Nordschleife production car lap record with the 911 GT2 RS MR. Running car number #911 is a Porsche fan tradition — a tribute to the iconic 911 model that has defined Porsche's identity for over 60 years.
Race Entry
About Manthey EMA
Manthey EMA is an American-based team that operates under the legendary Manthey Racing banner — giving them access to Manthey's legendary Porsche engineering expertise while fielding cars in North American racing. EMA Motorsports provides the American operational infrastructure; Manthey Racing provides technical knowledge developed over decades of Porsche development at the highest level.
The partnership between EMA Motorsports and Manthey Racing brings something rare to American GT racing: the deep institutional Porsche knowledge of a company that has developed, tuned, and raced Porsches at the Nürburgring — one of the most demanding test environments in the world. Everything Manthey knows about managing tire wear, optimizing aerodynamics, and extracting performance from a 911 GT3 R comes with the #911 to Sebring.
The Car: Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
The 992 designation refers to the current generation of the Porsche 911 — internally called the 992 series. The 911 GT3 R is Porsche's customer racing GT3 car derived from this platform. It uses a rear-mounted, naturally aspirated flat-six engine — distinctively Porsche in concept (the engine behind the rear axle creates unique handling characteristics) and sound.
Porsche's 911 GT3 R has been one of the most consistently successful GT3 cars globally for years. The car's rear-engine layout requires a specific driving approach compared to mid-engine competitors, but in the hands of experts, it delivers exceptional performance. The 992 generation represents significant development over previous versions, with improved aerodynamics and refined suspension geometry.
Car Number #911 — A Porsche Tradition
In GT racing, teams choose their car numbers and Porsche fans and teams have long favored #911 as a tribute to the iconic model. When the Manthey EMA #911 takes to the track at Sebring, it carries the weight of an entire automotive culture — every Porsche enthusiast who has ever admired a 911 on the road or track has a connection to that number.
Thomas Preining (Austria) is a Porsche factory driver and the 2023 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) champion — Germany's elite touring car series, equivalent in prestige to British Touring Cars but with an even higher level of manufacturer involvement. Preining's DTM title demonstrates his ability to perform at the front against the best touring car drivers in the world. His transition to endurance GT racing with full Porsche factory support makes him one of the most exciting drivers in the Sebring GTD Pro field.
Klaus Bachler (Austria) is an Austrian Porsche GT factory driver with extensive experience in both WEC (World Endurance Championship) and GT racing. His endurance racing background is particularly valuable for a 12-hour event, where managing car condition and pacing strategy is as important as raw speed.
Sven Müller (Germany) is a German Porsche factory driver with strong results across European GT championships. All three drivers sharing Austrian and German nationality reflects Porsche's Central European roots and their factory driver program structure.
What is the Nürburgring?
The Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany is a 12.9-mile racing circuit through the Eifel mountains — the most demanding and celebrated test track in the world. Lap times there are used as a benchmark for road car and racing car performance. Manthey Racing's expertise was built there.
Sister Car — #912 GTD
A companion Manthey-affiliated entry, the #912 Manthey 1st Phorm, competes in the GTD class. Two Manthey Porsches — #911 and #912 — at the same event. See the #912 team →