Manthey Racing is celebrating two anniversaries at this year's 24 Hours of Nürburgring: the Meuspath-based team is 30 years old, and at the same time, the legendary „Grello“ is turning ten. To mark the occasion, the Porsche 911 GT3 R will compete in the Eifel classic with a special livery that combines historical design elements from previous successful vehicles with modern accents.
The anniversary livery is based on the current yellow-green „Grello“ design and, among other things, incorporates the well-known green-yellow roof of the former „Dicker“ as well as orange exterior mirrors as a nod to earlier Manthey vehicles. The design is complemented by hidden details such as a stylized „7,“ which refers to the team's total of seven overall victories in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
The history of „Grello“ dates back to the mid-2000s. As early as 2005, Manthey first used a yellow-green Porsche on the Nordschleife. Manthey celebrated four consecutive overall victories in the endurance classic between 2006 and 2009 with the Porsche 911 GT3 MR, known as „Dicker,“ and later GT3 RSR models. The „Grello“ livery known today finally debuted in 2016 at a VLN race at the Nürburgring – immediately with an overall victory.
Internationally, the striking Porsche has also attracted attention in recent years. Successes at the Bathurst 12 Hour, in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and in the DTM with Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven underscore the project's significance far beyond the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
As part of the 24-hour race week, Manthey is also planning an exhibition at ring°boulevard. The team’s entire collection of Nürburgring-winning cars will be on display there. In addition, there will be an autograph session with the drivers of the Porsche #911—Kévin Estre, Ayhancan Güven, and Thomas Preining.
Sportingly, Manthey is pursuing a clear goal after two second-place finishes in recent years: the eighth overall victory in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race.