Porsche to Build Cayman GT4 Race Car

Photo: John Dagys

Following the legendary success of the 911 in motorsports competition worldwide, Porsche will begin offering another platform to customers beginning later this year, with confirmation that it will build a race version of the new Cayman GT4.

Announced at last week’s Geneva Motor Show by Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller, the German manufacturer plans to roll out a GT-spec car of the newly launched production car by the end of this year.

According to Porsche Motorsport North America President Jens Walther, there are no further details on where the Cayman GT4 would be eligible to race, although it’s expected for entry level platforms.

“At the moment there’s no news on that,” Walther told Sportscar365. “All we know is that Mr. Mueller, our CEO, announced at the Geneva Motor Show that Porsche is working on a race version of the Cayman GT4.

“We don’t know the characteristics or performance window of the car but since it’s based on the GT4 street car, we can kind of get an idea where it’s going to be landing.”

The production Cayman GT4, powered by a 385 hp flat six engine, will go on sale in Germany later this month, with it expected to hit U.S shores by July.

It’s believed the car could serve as a potential replacement for the Caymans currently being run in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (GS) and Pirelli World Challenge (GTS), both of which do not see any factory support.

While Walther would not confirm such a possibility, he did admit the benefits of offering a single, officially supported customer car, something they have previously never done with the Cayman platform.

“It’s all about safety and standardization,” he said. “We want to make sure the cars are safe and we use standard parts.

“At the moment, because every team has a different philosophy, you have a lot of variation in there. Variation in a competitive environment always means costs.

“So if you standardize, you have the ability to bring down and contain costs. This is important for an entry level series.”

Porsche Motorsport North America has increased its commitment to customer racing this year, with the addition of two new support trucks, including one at each PWC event, which has seen the launch of the new GT Cup presented by MOMO class.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John