The all-electric GT4 e-Performance can deliver up to 800 kW (1,088 PS). Porsche is aiming to use this test vehicle to show how sustainable customer motorsport can work in the future – and win many fans. Lap times can already match those of the current 911 GT3 Cup over the distance of a Carrera Cup race.
Porsche is using the all-electric GT4 e-Performance to show how sustainable customer motorsport can work – and win many fans in the future. This test vehicle deploys the technological components of the Mission R concept study, with which the sports car manufacturer presented its vision of an all-electric GT racing car at the IAA MOBILITY 2021 in Munich. The chassis of both cars are based on the familiar 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The electric motor and battery technology of the GT4 e-Performance are from Mission R. In qualifying mode it can generate up to 800 kW (1,088 PS). In simulated racing mode 450 kW (612 PS) is continuously available for 30 minutes – the duration of a Carrera Cup race. In terms of lap time performance and top speed, the GT4 e-Performance is a match for the current 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup.
In June 2022, the GT4 e-Performance revealed to the public for the first time what it is capable of at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The famous 1.9 kilometres or so of hill-climb track on Lord March’s Goodwood estate also marked the start of the GT4 e-Performance world tour. Over the next two years, it will take the innovative test vehicle to locations around Germany and beyond. The goal is to display the potential of this progressive vehicle concept and the opportunities for related racing formats to motorsport customer teams, partners and decision-makers from the racing world.
“With Mission R we have shown how Porsche can visualise the sustainable customer motorsport of the future,” says Matthias Scholz, Director GT Racecars. “The GT4 e-Performance is now proving that this vision works on the racetrack and is also very popular. We are very excited about the feedback, because a one-make series with electric racing cars could be an important addition to our existing customer sport programme.”
As with Mission R, the all-electric powertrain of the GT4 e-Performance is based on one permanently excited synchronous motor on each of the front and rear axles. Together they can produce up to 800 kW (1,088 PS) and transform the vehicle into an all-wheel driveracer. The oil direct cooling of the electric motors and the battery pack developed by Porsche counteract thermally induced derating. Thanks to 900-volt technology, the battery can be charged from five to 80 per cent SoC (State of Charge) in around 15 minutes.
“The integration of the oil cooling significantly influenced the vehicle concept,” explains Björn Förster, GT4 e-Performance Project Manager. “The whole development team, comprising aerodynamics and thermodynamics experts, high-voltage experts and body specialists created an architecture that enabled us to tap into the full potential of the battery cells for the first time because no thermal derating occurred. This means that in racing mode the full power is available for the desired period of half an hour.”
The lines of the GT4 e-Performance were developed by a Porsche Style team led by designer Grant Larson. The racing car is 14 centimetres wider than a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. Porsche redesigned around 6,000 parts for the car. The body includes natural fibre composite materials, the production of which would generate fewer emissions than comparable synthetic materials. The use of recycled carbon fibres is also being tested. Wider wings compared to the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport create room for even wider 18-inch racing tyres from Michelin. They contain a particularly high proportion of renewable materials.
The GT4 e-Performance Tour #race2zero
Following its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the GT4 e-Performance is headed to further international stops, every one of which has its own unique character. At the world-famous car festival in the south of England, it was all about the motorsport tradition of Porsche. On 20 August 2022, it was the turn of the Porsche factory in Leipzig. The factory is celebrating its 20th birthday this year and has a 3.7-kilometre track that is based on famous sections of world-renowned circuits. Further destinations in Europe, North America and Asia up to 2024 are planned. In harmony with the sustainability strategy of the entire ‘race2zero’ project, the logistically optimised transportation is exclusively by ship, rail and HGV.
“The GT4 e-Performance is setting the course for Porsche customer sport with electrically powered racing cars. In the first step we are presenting this concept to our partners around the world,” says Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Sales for the GT4 e-Performance. “Working together with drivers, teams, event organisers, authorities and other interested parties, we will be gathering ideas for possible future racing formats from Porsche.”
Facts & Figures
| 800 kW (1,088 PS) | Maximum power |
| 450 kW (612 PS) | Consistent performance |
| Around 30 minutes | Maximum racing time |
| 6,000 parts | Redesigned by Porsche for the GT4 e-Performance |
| 14 cm | The additional width of the GT4 e-Performance compared to a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, on which it is based |
| 900 volt | Voltage of the E-drive architecture |
| 15 minutes | Charging time from five to 80 per cent SoC (State of Charge) at full charging capacity |
| 45.50 seconds | Lap time of the GT4 e-Performance on the 1.9 km (approx.) hill-climb track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it took second place in the overall standings |
| Up to 53 per cent | Proportion of bio-based and recycled materials in the Michelin racing tyres of the GT4 e-Performance |
