Porsche debuts track-only 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport at LA Auto Show
With 500 horsepower and a new seven-speed gearbox, this mid-engine monster will be a track terror.
In addition to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS that debuted Tuesday, Porsche has something even more hardcore up its sleeve. Meet the GT4 RS Clubsport, which, you guessed it, is a race-only version of the aforementioned Cayman. It's being sold through Porsche Motorsport North America for the cool sum of $229,000 before taxes. So what do you get for that hefty pile of cashish?
To start, you get the 4.0-liter, 500-horsepower, flat-six engine out of the GT3 Cup race car. That heavenly 9,000-rpm-revving powerplant is bolted to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox -- one extra gear than the previous Cayman Clubsport. You also get an updated two-way adjustable suspension and blade-style adjustable sway bars. Because setting up a race car for an individual driver's tastes as well as for individual tracks is very important if you want to be fast, Porsche is offering the RS Clubsport with three different spring packages.
Porsche also tweaked the car's electronics to make them more track-friendly with individual switches for traction control and ABS, as well as updated stability control software. To help reduce the need for those safety systems, Porsche added a boatload of aerodynamic aids to the car, including a big wing and dive planes for the front bumper. Also cool is the expanded use of natural fiber-based composites in the car's body. This expands on their use in the previous Clubsport and may end up on road cars soon.
Meant to be a turn-key race car, the RS Clubsport comes standard with a welded roll cage and fire suppression system. It also has provisions for six-point racing harnesses and comes with air jacks for those speedy race day tire changes. Porsche expects to see the car compete in the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge racing series as well as in the GT America series and SRO GT4 America.
