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Porsche has recently announced a significant upgrade to its esteemed Track Experience driver education program. Enthusiasts and aspiring racers can now get behind the wheel of the formidable 911 GT3 RS equipped with the specialized Manthey Racing handling kit. This elite vehicle is being integrated into the most advanced tiers of Porsche's driving curriculum, providing an unparalleled opportunity for students to master high-performance driving.

Porsche's High-Octane Driver Training Now Features the Ultimate 911

In a thrilling development for automotive aficionados, Porsche revealed on a recent Tuesday its decision to incorporate the potent 911 GT3 RS, enhanced with the Manthey Racing performance package, into its highly regarded Track Experience curriculum. This exclusive offering is available to participants enrolled in the program's three most advanced courses: the intensive three-day Masters RS, the comprehensive four-day Masters RSR, and the invite-only Masters TR. These rigorous programs are meticulously designed to guide students towards acquiring an SCCA Full Competition license, marking a substantial step towards professional racing. The training sessions are held at the picturesque Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, a premier venue known for its challenging track layout.

The 911 GT3 RS is already recognized as Porsche's most extreme production vehicle, boasting an aggressive aerodynamic setup that generates downforce comparable to a Le Mans-spec 911 race car. Manthey Racing, a distinguished subsidiary of Porsche based in Nürburgring, specializes in developing high-performance handling enhancements for Porsche's GT lineup. For the GT3 RS, the Manthey kit introduces a larger front splitter, sophisticated dive planes, an expanded rear diffuser, and a more prominent rear wing. Notably, it also features a carbon-fiber panel with a distinctive shark fin, replacing the conventional rear window. These modifications are engineered to boost downforce by approximately 20 percent over the standard GT3 RS, achieving an astonishing 2,200 pounds at 177 miles per hour. Furthermore, the car benefits from stiffer springs, adaptive semi-active coilovers, and high-performance stainless-steel brake lines, all contributing to its exceptional track capabilities. This strategic move not only serves as an excellent platform for Porsche to showcase the extraordinary prowess of its most hardcore 911 to prospective buyers but also provides an invaluable educational tool. Driving a GT3 RS Manthey, with its race-derived engine shared with the 911 GT3 Cup car, offers an experience remarkably akin to piloting a dedicated race car, making it an ideal choice for serious racing instruction. While the Masters RS program commands a tuition fee of $9,700, this cost aligns with the market rate for such elite racing schools. The 911 GT3 RS Manthey Racing vehicles are currently deployed at Barber Motorsports Park and are expected to remain available for student use until the spring of 2026.

The integration of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS with the Manthey Racing kit into Porsche's premier driving school curriculum marks a new frontier in performance driver training. It underscores the brand's commitment to pushing the boundaries of automotive engineering and driver skill development. For those with the ambition and means, this program offers more than just lessons; it provides a transformative journey into the heart of high-performance driving, blurring the lines between a road car and a race machine. This initiative truly elevates the art of driving instruction, demonstrating that the pursuit of driving excellence is an ongoing, evolving adventure.

A high-stakes legal dispute has emerged in the exclusive world of luxury automobiles, as Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini has initiated legal proceedings against one of its North American dealers. The automaker alleges that Gold Coast Exotic Imports, based in Chicago, engaged in illicit sales practices, secretly diverting premium vehicles to unauthorized third-party brokers rather than legitimate customers. This alleged scheme reportedly allowed the dealership to unjustly accumulate over $4 million in performance bonuses from Lamborghini, while circumventing established sales protocols. The dealership, however, vehemently disputes these claims, framing the lawsuit as a strategic maneuver by Lamborghini to remove its long-serving president and avoid outstanding financial obligations related to dealership enhancements and marketing support.

The core of Lamborghini's legal action centers on accusations that Gold Coast Exotic Imports bypassed the brand's stringent distribution rules. In the North American market, Lamborghini operates through independent dealerships, which are tasked with direct sales to end-users. The lawsuit contends that in 2023 alone, Gold Coast sold at least 32 vehicles, including a $600,000+ Lamborghini Revuelto, to individuals who were merely fronts for undisclosed brokers. These alleged phantom buyers included a Minnesota chiropractor and a former professional athlete, while the ultimate recipients were reportedly third-party dealers, some with dubious financial histories, including one who had previously faced charges for money laundering involving luxury vehicles. Lamborghini asserts that these transactions were deliberately camouflaged to appear as standard retail sales, thereby deceiving the manufacturer about the true ownership of the vehicles.

Further compounding the allegations, Lamborghini claims that Gold Coast demanded illicit upfront payments, sometimes as much as $150,000, from prospective buyers eager to expedite their acquisition of highly coveted, limited-edition models, such as the Sterrato. Meanwhile, unaware of these purported under-the-table dealings, Lamborghini continued to reward the Chicago dealership with substantial performance-based incentives, totaling over $4 million. In its defense, Gold Coast Exotic Imports has lodged counterclaims, arguing that Lamborghini owes it more than $400,000 for unfulfilled reimbursements related to showroom upgrades and marketing initiatives. The dealership's management also suggested that the lawsuit is a thinly veiled attempt by Lamborghini to force out its 81-year-old president, Joseph Perillo Sr., whom the automaker allegedly considered "too old" and "too difficult to deal with."

This ongoing legal battle resonates deeply within the high-end automotive sector, where genuine enthusiasts often contend with exorbitant prices and extended waiting periods for rare models. The alleged practice of dealerships engaging in backdoor sales with resellers not only creates a perception of unfairness but also potentially damages the brand's integrity and exclusivity. Lamborghini's decisive move to sue one of its own authorized dealers marks a significant moment, potentially influencing future strategies for how luxury automakers manage the distribution and sales of their highly sought-after vehicles. While settlement negotiations are currently underway, should they fail, the case is slated for trial in December 2026. Regardless of the outcome, this public dispute offers an unprecedented glimpse into the often-opaque practices surrounding the sale of the world's most exclusive automobiles.