Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Rally Concept Hints at Porsche's Return to Rally

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Aug 10, 2018

Could this be the first step towards Porsche competing in rally racing again?

There is nothing that Porsche engineers can’t do. Case in point: the Cayman GT4 Clubsport Rally Concept. The new machinery is a turnkey, track-spec race car that traces its roots to the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. It looks different than the GT4 Clubsport, in large part because it was designed specifically for rally racing use. More importantly, the concept will be in attendance at Rallye Deutschland later this month and will serve as a course car for Romain Dumas, the same man who now holds the time attack record at Pikes Peak with the Volkswagen I.D. R electric rally car.

This is an interesting exercise on how to turn the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport into a proper rally race car. The design of the car lone speaks to its purpose. How many Cayman GT4 Clubsport models do you see carry those extra set of spotlights on the front hood? Better yet, that roof scoop isn’t there for aesthetic reasons, either. It's the same thing with the skid plates underneath that helps protect the car’s underbody from the elements.

A standard Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport wouldn’t carry these items. But a Cayman GT4 Clubsport that’s been retrofitted for rally use could definitely use them. Look closer, and you’ll see that the concept is also sporting Michelin Pilot Sport tires and OMP nylon tow loops in the front and rear of the car. We can’t see other parts of the car, or the interior, for that matter, but this concept was developed to race in rally courses all over the world. That much is not disputable. Speaking of the interior, don't expect the concept to get any of the amenities that the production Cayman GT4 Clubsport has. If anything, it's going to be a surprise if there's anything in that interior other than race seats, a steering wheel, a roll cage, and rally-spec equipment.

To be clear, Porsche didn’t develop this car by itself, either. According to Top Gear, Romain Dumas and his engineering firm, RD Limited, had a hand in developing it, too, something Dumas said it’s been doing in past weeks ahead of its attendance at Rally Deutschland next week. It’s unclear if he’s going to race it in the event because neither he nor Porsche Motorsport have tipped their hands on the possibility. The German automaker did say that it plans to bring the concept at the German round of the World Rally Championship to collect feedback from the rally racing community. If everything goes according to Porsche’s plans, this concept could turn into something that’s more than just a concept.

Take the hint and assume that Porsche is talking about a production version because that’s exactly what it’s referring to. Hopefully, we get more clarity on Porsche’s plans for the Cayman GT4 Clubsport Rally Concept once it's done waving to fans at Rally Deutschland. Who knows, it might not just be a spectator in the event. Cross your fingers that Porsche sends it out on a demonstration to show how it can get down and dirty with other rough-riding rally racers in the event.

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