Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sport MR adopts body parts made of renewable raw materials

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR

By the way, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sports MR has adopted a complete body kit made of natural fiber composite material for this model and will participate in the Nürburgring 24 hour race this year 2020. That thing.

From early 2019, Porsche said that the two doors and rear wing of the race car were made from a mixture of natural fibers mainly made from renewable raw materials.

…Hmm?

That's right, the 2019 Porsche Sprint Challenge, which was previously said to be "made primarily of a mixture of organic fibers sourced primarily from agricultural by-products such as flax and hemp fibers." In JapanShowed me the 718 Cayman GT4 ClubsportThat's why ↓

At that time, I had the opportunity to actually open and close the door that was made of the mixture with my own hands, but I said "What's this !!" because of the lightness of the door. I remember that. It was so light ~.

And at Porsche, which will be competing in this Nürburgring 24 hour race, not only the door and rear wing as before:

• Front apron
• Rear apron
• Front spoiler
• Front lid
• Realid
• Mudguard
• Diffuser with aerodynamic fins

Until now, all of them will be made of recycled materials instead of the ones made of metal and plastic that have been used until now.

At first glance, it looks like it is made of wood ^^

Weight and rigidity are comparable to carbon fiber

This reusable natural fiber composite material is said to be comparable to carbon fiber in terms of its weight and rigidity, and meets the same high safety and quality standards as carbon fiber.

Or just the face ... a little scary ...

Although it is carbon fiber in terms of quality, this natural fiber composite material is cheaper and can be manufactured with less energy. It's all good.

By the way, the development of this material started in 2016 by Porsche, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Fraunhofer WKI, and the Swiss company Bcomp.

Light balsa wood is used as the core of the material for the door, and the sandwich structure is said to be made by the resin transfer molding (RTM) process that is often used in the manufacture of carbon fiber parts.

In contrast, the rear wing is made by impregnating its layer with epoxy and then autoclaving it.

And the newly added natural fiber reinforced plastic parts use a vacuum injection process and are made to meet the rigidity requirements by the unique Power Ribs Technology of the Swiss company Bcomp. That is.

It seems that it is possible to adjust according to the required purpose by adjusting the thickness and orientation of various fibers, and the natural fiber composite material is used for parts that are not the frame of the vehicle or only parts of it. Another good point is that it is suitable and can reduce vibration by about 5 times, and it is said that even in the unlikely event of an accident, those parts will be large and will be less sharp fragments.

In this 2020 Nürburgring 24-hour race, Team for Motors will participate in Project 1 Motorsport with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sport MR, which boasts a 3.8-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine made of this natural fiber and 425 horsepower. It is said that it will be done (the number is 420 car).

The four drivers for this 718 Cayman are Matthias Beckwermert, Henrik Bollerslev, Nicola Bravetti, and Marco Timbal.

If Cayman using this natural fiber can get good results in this endurance race, it is possible that Manthey Racing (MR) will be able to offer this same parts kit to general customers as well. ..

Source:(Official) Racing cars with body parts made of renewable raw materials