Porsche Mission R lives on as electric Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance
Serving as a test vehicle, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance combines the powertrain from the Porsche Mission R concept study with the chassis of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
Said to be on par with the current 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance produces 1,000 PS in Qualification mode, and in simulated racing, is able to produce a steady 450 kW (612 PS) for 30 minutes.
While the Mission R is said to do the century sprint in a whopping 2.5 seconds, acceleration figures of the all-electric Cayman race car have not been mentioned
“With the Mission R, we’ve shown how Porsche envisages sustainable customer motor racing in the future. The 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance now demonstrates that this vision works impressively on the racetrack,” states Matthias Scholz, GT racing vehicle project manager. “We’re very excited about the response because a one-make cup with electric racing cars would be an important addition to our existing customer racing programme.”
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance boasts a 900-volt architecture (from the Mission R) that allows for 340-kW DC fast charging.
With that, the its 80-kWh battery can be charged from 5 to 80% in just 15 minutes. Porsche calls this the “Porsche Turbo Charging”
Like the Mission R, the fully-electric drive train of the 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance is based on a permanently excited synchronous machine (PESM) on the front and rear axles. Together, they turn the racing car into an all-wheel-drive and can deliver a peak output of up to 800 kW (1,088 PS).
Besides the impressively fast charging capability of 340 kW, the Porsche 718 Cayman Gt4 ePerformance also showcases direct oil cooling of the e-motors and battery pack developed by Porsche that counteracts thermally induced derating.
Björn Förster, GT4 ePerformance project manager explains, “The integration of oil cooling has significantly impacted the vehicle concept,”
“With experts in the fields of aerodynamics and thermodynamics as well as high-voltage and bodywork specialists, the development team created an architecture to tap the full potential of the battery cells for the first time, since there is no thermal derating. In this way, the power output in racing mode remains constant for half an hour.”
Under the direction of designer Grant Larson, a team from Porsche Style came up with the shape of the 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance. The racing car is 14 centimetres wider than a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. About 6,000 parts were designed from scratch.
The body is made of natural fibre composite materials, among others, with the production intended to generate fewer emissions than the production of comparable synthetic materials. Recycled carbon fibres are also used for testing purposes.
Compared to the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, the flared fenders allow more room for the wider 18-inch racing tyres from Michelin. Renewable materials make up a particularly high proportion of the tyres.
Development partners for the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance include:
- DB Schenker
- ExxonMobil
- TAG Heuer
- Michelin
- Hugo Boss
- Puma
- Hazet
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance will premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 23 to 26 June 2022, taking part in the ca. 1.9-kilometre hill-climb event.
It will also make an appearance at the Porsche factory in Leipzig on the occasion of the factory’s 20th anniversary on 20 August 2022.
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