With automakers downsizing their collection of vehicles and storage space coming at a premium it is no wonder that manufacturers are turning to the functionality of a hatchback. Mercedes Benz has their concept Fascination, Audi has the Shooting Brake and BMW is still toying around with renderings. So it came as no surprise when a member of the BBC’s Top Gear spotted a very strange looking Porsche Cayman test car that was wearing a rather strange looking black covering over the rear haunches.

Speculators suggested that this would be an all new model for the German sports car maker’s lineup; a shooting brake to go along with the new open air roadster. But alas, the truth has surfaced about the modified Cayman’s true nature. It turns out that there was a large metal hatch underneath the canvas tent, but this is no future production model. Instead the Cayman Shooting Brake was specially developed for the virtual world with a starring role in the Forza Motorsport 3 racing videogame.

Just because the Porsche Shooting Brake is destined for Xbox’s instead of highways, it doesn’t mean that an actual production model is impossible. Consider the GT by Citroen->ke3275; this car existed exclusively in the realm of Gran Turismo before the French automaker even considered an actual full scale working model. These days videogames are an important part of an automaker’s market research, the driving simulators give consumers a chance to familiarize themselves with sometimes unconventional automobiles’ physical and performance characteristics in a fun environment that can end up creating an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm about the new vehicle without ever having to stamp any sheet metal.

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