Porsche to debut race-spec Cayman GT4 Clubsport at LA show

A racing version of the Porsche Cayman GT4 will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month, Porsche has confirmed. Up front, the GT4 Clubsport pilfers the front strut axle system from the bigger and more capable GT3 Cup auto, along with heavy-duty 15-inch diameter race brakes at all four corners. Porsche’s Motorsport division is responsible for developing the crown jewels of the company’s road vehicle division-the 911 GT3 RS and Cayman GT4 are the most recent examples.

The Cayman GT4 Clubsport will be sold through Porsche’s motorsport business at Weissach or the corresponding importer in the United States. It uses the same 380bhp 3.8-litre flat six engine, rear-wheel drive and a mechanical locking diff as the standard GT4. Tipping the scales at just 1,300 kilograms, the Cayman GT4 Clubsport, delivered ex-works with a welded-in safety cage, a racing bucket seat as well as a six-point harness, is truly lightweight.

The Porsche Cayman GT4 quickly made a name for itself after its debut earlier this year for its classic approach to performance, with a manual transmission as its only available gearbox. For what it’s worth, the street-legal GT4 – which is presumably a lot heavier than the 2,866-pound track-spec Clubsport – can sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds and go on to a top speed of 183 miles per hour. Following its debut, the Cayman Clubsport will be eligible for a number of racing series across the globe, along with a handful of North American championships – including the Pirelli World Challenge, which races at Ontario’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – pending homologation. Other markets will have to order the vehicle from Porsche Motorsport.