2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
Three years after the premiere of the first Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Porsche now unveils its successor. The new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport represents a consequent further development of the successful model from Weissach. In developing the new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, the focus was put not only on further improved driveability and faster lap times but also on the sustainable use of raw materials. The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport is the first ever production race car to feature body parts made of natural-fibre composite material. The driver and passenger doors and the rear wing are made of an organic fibre mix, sourced primarily from agricultural by-products such as flax or hemp fibres and feature similar properties to carbon fibre in terms of weight and stiffness. Powering the 718 GT4 Clubsport is a 3.8-litre flat-six engine producing 425 bhp (313 kW). Compared to its predecessor, this represents a 40 bhp increase in performance.
The power is transferred to the rear wheels via a Porsche dual-clutch gearbox with six gears and mechanical rear axle differential lock. The lightweight spring-strut front suspension is taken from its big 911 GT3 Cup brother. The impressive racing brake system features steel brake discs all round measuring 380 mm in diameter. Tipping the scales at 1,320 kg, the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, delivered ex-works with a welded-in safety cage, a racing bucket seat as well as a six-point harness, is a real lightweight. For the first time, the near-standard mid-engined racer comes in two versions ex-works for global track driving excitement: the 鈥淭rackday鈥?model and the 鈥淐ompetition鈥?variant for national and international motor racing. Only the 鈥淐ompetition鈥?edition is offered in the UK. The 鈥淐ompetition鈥?model - which is available in the UK via the Porsche Cars GB Motorsport department - features a raft of details relevant for racing.
The shock absorbers can be adjusted in three stages. The safety fuel tank with a capacity of 115 litres is suitable for long-distance events. Thanks to a brake balance system, the balance bias can be infinitely adjusted between the front and rear axle. An integrated air jack system guarantees fast pit stops. The quick-release racing steering wheel adopted from the 911 GT3 R ensures a range of adjustment options for the individual needs of the drivers. An automatic fire extinguishing system adds another safety feature for the racetrack. The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport 鈥淐ompetition鈥?is priced at 拢130,300.00 plus VAT, and is not homologated for road use. 鈥淭he new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport possesses significantly more racing genes than its successful predecessor,鈥?says Porsche鈥檚 head of motorsport Fritz Enzinger. 鈥淭he power of the engine has increased considerably. At the same time, we were able to increase the downforce and the cockpit is now even better suited to drivers鈥?needs.
The next piece of great news for the motoring community is that no PDK automatic gearbox will be put in the new car. Not for the first year at least. In fact, the first year鈥檚 production of the car will be 100% manual transmissions with a PDK option being proposed one year into production. Although no performance figures have been released, rumours from within the Weissach team suggest a potential top speed of over 185mph and a 0-60mph time of about 4 seconds. As you can see from the spy shots bellow, the car will feature many differentiating elements from the original GT4. For example, the rear wing will hold much larger end plates than the previous version while the centre exhaust exit has been ditched for more separate pipes. Finally, at the front, you鈥檒l notice the angular front end of the 718 is still apparent albeit more pronounced and clearly more aero focused. Obviously, a complete suspension, wheel and tire overhaul is necessary to turn the basic 718 into a track munching weapon. The car is expected to go on sale from around 拢90,000. This is quite the increase from the 981鈥檚 GT4 of 拢64k. If that鈥檚 the price to keep true out and out driver鈥檚 cars on the road though, I don鈥檛 see the problem.