Public Debut Of The Porsche GT4 ePerformance, A Showcase That Kicked Off A World Tour

A world tour officialised with a showcase of its power publicly for the first time, the Porsche GT4 ePerformance prototype at the recent Goodwood Festival Of Speed (FOS).

Over the next two years, the all-electric prototype will travel across Germany and beyond, to prove the potential of the vehicle concept and the possibilities of racing formats associated with it.

Porsche works’ driver, Richard Lietz, expressed, “Its aerodynamics are designed for efficiency because the car has to be able to last the full race distance. It’s more at home on circuits than on hillclimb courses like here at Goodwood. So, a time of 45.50 seconds and second place in the overall rankings is in line with our expectations.”

The GT4 ePerformance carries over lots of the technology of the Porsche Mission R concept study, of which both are based on the chassis of the proven 718 GT4 Clubsport model. 

Its electric motor and battery technology also come entirely from the Mission R that when translated in qualification mode, has a maximum output of up to 800 kW (1,073 hp).

While in simulated racing, a steady 450 kW (604 hp) is available for 30 minutes, equivalent to the duration of a Carrera Cup race.

In terms of lap times and top speed, the GT4 ePerformance is on a par with the performance of the current 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup. 

Courtesy of the 900-volt technology installed, the state of charge (SoC) of the battery at full charging capacity jumps from five to 80 percent in about 15 minutes.

Elsewhere, directed by designer Grant Larsson, team Porsche Style has also redesigned about 6,000 parts for the GT4 ePerformance’s shape.

Sporting a body made of natural fibre composite materials, among others, the build was intended to generate fewer emissions than that of comparable synthetic materials. 

Recycled carbon fibres are used for testing purposes, and thanks to its flared wings, the racing car is 140 mm wider than a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

This allows more room for the wider 18-inch racing tires that were developed specifically by Michelin for the GT4 ePerformance. 

Said racing tires consist of renewable materials that make up a particularly high proportion of either bio-based, or recycled materials of up to 53 percent for each one.

Lietz concluded, “I was already familiar with the GT4 ePerformance from test drives. It’s extremely quick and loads of fun to drive and that’s exactly how I imagine the electrically-powered customer sport racing car of the future.”

That said, with its world premiere at the Goodwood FOS concluded, the GT4 ePerformance has continued to visit other destinations around the world, with each one following a specific theme. 

First stop was at the world-famous motorsport festival in West Sussex, which was all about Porsche’s motor racing tradition. 

Then, the second, on August 20 at the Porsche facility in Leipzig, will celebrate the factory’s 20th anniversary. Here, its potential will be showcased as a business model. 

All in all, the Porsche GT4 ePerformance’s world tour is supported by seven partners. Notably, using the tour as a platform to further advance the topic of sustainability with Porsche Motorsport.