Porsche debuted the new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport today, and as you’d expect, it receives a healthy increase in horsepower. What is a little more unexpected is that it has body panels made with natural fibers, and Porsche is offering two versions, one for amateur racers and another for top-level racers.
The sports car packs a 3.8-liter flat-six good for 420 horsepower, up 35 from its predecessor introduced in late 2015. Torque comes in at 313 lb-ft. Like the old version, a six-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission routes power to the rear wheels. The 911 GT3 Cup lends its lightweight coil-over front suspension to the new GT4 Clubsport. Helping the car come to a stop are six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers clamping down on 15-inch steel rotors with racing brake pads.
The Trackday version is suitable for private track events, and it features fixed dampers, air conditioning, a rescue hatch in the roof, a handheld fire extinguisher, and an 80-liter fuel cell that complies with FIA regulations. Competition models are bred for more hard-core racing at national and international events, with dampers that offer three-stage adjustability and a larger, 115-liter fuel cell for longer races. The Competition also has a quick-release steering wheel adopted from the 911 GT3 R, an automatic fire system, an integrated air jack for quicker pit stops, and a brake-balancing setup that lets you adjust the brake bias between the front and rear axles. All models have a roll cage, six-point harness, and Recaro driver’s race seat.
To achieve a claimed weight of 2,910 pounds, the GT4 Clubsport makes use of an aluminum-steel composite chassis. Natural fiber composite materials help shed even more weight, as the rear wing and doors are made of a natural mix sourced from agricultural byproducts including flax and hemp fibers. Porsche claims similar advantages seen in carbon fiber when it comes to weight and stiffness.
The latest Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport is currently available for order. We don’t expect Porsche will make many of them, as it delivered roughly 420 copies of the previous version.
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