Manthey Racing has been caught testing a Porsche 991 GT2 RS at the Nürburgring, and early signs suggest it could mark the return of a legendary Porsche design, the Flatnose.
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The Flatnose, or Flachbau, has been absent from Porsche’s lineup for decades. The last full-production factory Flatnose was the 930 Turbo SE in 1989, followed by a handful of limited-run specials, such as the 1994 964 Turbo S 3.6 Flatnose. Since then, Porsche hasn’t produced another, meaning a revival would end a 31-year gap.
The test car was spotted carrying the license plate “BB RS 3091.” That plate has some history: it was previously used on Manthey Racing’s red 991 GT2 RS MR, the very car that set a Nürburgring lap record on Thursday, October 25, 2018, lapping the 20.6 km Nordschleife in 6:40.3 minutes. Back then, it made headlines as the fastest road-legal sports car to ever lap the Green Hell.
Seeing the same plate again strongly suggests Manthey is using its record-breaking development mule to trial something new, potentially a Flatnose-inspired aero package or even groundwork for a 992 GT2 RS Flatnose.
For now, it’s speculation. But if Manthey Racing is indeed preparing a modern Flatnose, it would mark the long-awaited return of one of Porsche’s rarest and most distinctive designs. And with testing now underway at the Ring, more details are likely just around the corner.
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