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Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Gets Natural Fiber Makeover, Looks Like Wood

Carmakers have been struggling to turn green for a number of years now. That means not only coming up with more efficient ICE or brand new EV hardware, but also changing the materials used for the build of a car to more eco-friendly ones.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR with wood-like body parts 13 photos
Photo: Porsche
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Porsche is one of the carmakers doing so, for both its road cars and the racers it fields in various racing series. The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, for instance, has been using natural-fiber composite materials for the doors and the rear wing since last year.

Now, with just a few hours left until the start of the Nürburgring 24-hour race, the German carmaker announced that most of the racer's bodywork would no longer use plastic and metal elements, but a natural-fiber mix. That means parts like the front and rear aprons, front spoiler, front and rear lids, mudguards, and diffuser are made from this material.

The mix is not used on structural components, of course, but it offers everywhere else properties similar to carbon-fiber composites in terms of weight and stiffness. The materials used by Porsche come largely in the form of flax fibers.

“These materials replace the metal and plastic injection moulded components of the production sports car. In terms of weight and stiffness, the recyclable natural-fibre composite materials of non-structural components share properties similar to carbon-fibre composites (CFRP) and meet the same high safety and quality standards,” says Porsche.

“Natural-fibre composites can be manufactured more economically and with less energy."

The first racing outing of the Cayman with its new body will take place this weekend at the Nürburgring. The car will wear number 420, and it will be driven by Matthias Beckwermert, Henrik Bollerslev, Nicola Bravetti and Marco Timbal.

If the test succeeds and the bodywork holds together, the modification will likely be offered as parts kits through Manthey-Racing.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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