BETTER PARTSThe racing-Cayman for the world stage
Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), 1 August 2016
The Porsche Cayman GT4 is a damn hot vehicle in the straßenzugelassen series version. Engine and transmission of the 911 Carrera S, front axle from the GT3 driving fun is there. In the autumn 2015, the customer sport variant Cayman GT4 followed ClubSport. About 360 copies of the racing version have already been delivered since. Now Porsche supplying and offering a homologation package for the world's booming GT4 racing class. We were at the presentation in the Belgian Spa-Francorchamps and have a look at the new racer.
Whittling away at Porsche
To understand, I have to get out something what was changed in the vehicle that ClubSport only marginally different from the "normal" GT4 at first glance,. With the presentation of the ClubSport model end of 2015, the tradition team that builds the ClubSport car the problem is to have a finished car, but no race series, in which it may launch were Porsche and Manthey racing. The solution? A class in the hotel's own Porsche sports Cup. But it's not remained: Manthey Racing 2016 hosts for the first time a personal special rating within the framework of the VLN long distance Championship on the Nürburgring. In the "Cayman GT4 Trophy by Manthey Racing" start on average around 20 cars and offer outstanding motor sport. But these two applications were not enough for the Porsche specialists from Meuspath at the Nürburgring. Therefore, there is now the GT4 Homolgationspaket.
GT4 as future class
The GT4 class is the equivalent of the GT to the successful TCR category in terms of touring car: affordable Motorsport series production customer sports vehicles from well-known manufacturers. Honda Civic, golf, Seat Leon, Audi soon fighting A3 in the TCR category VW, the GT4 participants M4 called Aston Martin Vantage, Porsche Cayman and BMW, McLaren 570. The GT4 class also benefits from the increasingly professionalisation of the former Herrenfahrer rating in the GT3 category. Logically so, that Porsche wants to have a piece of freshly baked customer sports pie.
Slight changes for GT4 class
Are you come so far? Good. Then let us now turn the GT4 Cayman ClubSport MR to. "Mr." this way, synonymous with Manthey Racing and indicates the origin of the homologation package. What has changed about so? Thanks to the good starting point which offers the ClubSport-Cayman, are the tags of purely performance technical nature. The dual adjustable competition suspension from KW offers a larger margin at the brake balance more settings in the Setup and fall higher on the front axle, the balance beam brake with racing ABS. The MR-Cayman is also equipped with carbon hoods and doors, MAKROLON side Windows, a polycarbonate windscreen and a higher rear spoiler. Less weight and more pressure are the result. A lightweight battery is optionally available. A steering wheel control unit facilitates the operation of the data-logging system, which is equipped with a CAN-gateway to the data selection obligation in the GT4 class.
Flexibility with conversion kit
The advantage of the reconstruction package of Manthey racing is according to CEO Martin wheels in ease of use: "the conversion of the standard Club Sport on the GT4 specification is to create loosely in a day. So can be used many ways the Cayman, without having to make much stress". The normal Cayman GT4 ClubSport is already equipped with around 200 parts by Porsche Motorsport. Cage, seat and brakes come from the 991 Cup and are genuine factory sports parts. The body components of the dimensions and mounting points is identical to a roads Cayman GT4. Something gets broken, spare parts can Porsche dealer so just be ordered or "borrowed" from a street car in the paddock.
Relatively inexpensive
The GT4 category stands according to the wheels for "great Motorsport with interesting cars and a good value for money". What can we imagine including? Well, ClubSport MR it gets a Cayman GT4 Manthey racing September 2016 for approximately 160,000 euros. The upgrade-kit for an existing car nearly 26,000 euros. The technical difference in the drive unit when compared to the series Cayman GT4 is confined to a different exhaust manifold, a different cat and a modified software. Otherwise, the motor is a series unit. 385 HP and 420 Newton metres provide much driving fun with a weight of just 1290 kg. Instead of the manual transmission installed in a street car, a PDK-box with gearshift paddles on the steering wheel is operated in the ClubSport model. Engine and transmission are designed for mileage of around 100 hours, a full season without revision is so loose in there. Then there is however expensive: a new transmission costs 14,000 euros. I wonder where the GT4 journey still goes and how the Cayman in the challenging field of starter is. (mf)