Car NewsElectricPorsche

Porsche GT4 e-Performance debuts in Australia, previews future in customer racing

The epic Porsche GT4 e-Performance has made its debut in Australia, previewing what could be possible in the world of customer racing cars in the future.

It’s a couple of years old now, this crazy concept, following its initial debut in 2022 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Now, Porsche is taking the racer on a world tour, basically in an effort to build up excitement and to gauge customer interest for a future electric track car.

Porsche GT4 e-Performance Australian debut - wheels

Porsche wants everyone to know, including its huge network of loyal customers, that track cars will continue to be produced by the brand even as it transitions to full electric power. And what a way to showcase the potential; this GT4 e-Performance is insane.

By 2030, Porsche is aiming for 80 per cent of its fleet to be electric. This leaves some room for combustion engines to live on in some capacity. Likely for very high-end models and track-focused machines from the GT family. Bio-fuels are still on the agenda and are likely to be the energy source for future track cars and Super Cup and so on.

Porsche GT4 e-Performance Australian debut - media

So, what’s this e-Performance all about then? It features a 65kWh/80kWh (net/gross) battery and 900V electrical system, sending energy to twin electric motors (front and rear). These combine to produce a colossal 800kW (1088PS).

The package offers a racing mode which limits power to 450kW, which is designed to sustain track driving for up to 30 minutes; enough for a sprint race in Porsche’s one-make events. At maximum charging capacity a recharge can go from 5-80 per cent in around 15 minutes. So as you can see, it is possible to use this for track events with relative convenience.

Although the GT4 e-Performance is based on the 718 Cayman, much of it has been redeveloped to accommodate the electrical system and to manage the power and energy involved. In fact, this is 140mm longer, and around 6000 parts were redesigned completely compared with the regular Cayman.

Porsche GT4 e-Performance Australian debut - front battery

Special attention has been focused on cooling, with lots of special ducts as well as oil-cooling for many of the electrical components and system. As a result, Porsche says the car is able to maintain performance throughout the battery’s state of charge. Porsche also says that other EVs on the track usually stop due to heat, whereas this will only stop due to the battery going flat, the company says.

The batteries are also housed in a special carbon fibre box complete with one-way valves to exhaust gas and heat away from the cabin in the event of thermal runaway. However, the carbon fibre box is also very strong to protect the battery from damage.

Porsche GT4 e-Performance Australian debut - Brett Davis

So, when can you buy one? Well, first Porsche is going to launch the fully electric next-gen Boxster and then the racing department will build on from that model. At this stage this is just a concept and many components are not designed for market-level production.

The new Boxster EV will arrive around 2025, along with its hardtop brother, the Cayman.

If you’re worried about the performance potential of any future electric GT versions, just check out the Taycan Turbo GT that was revealed earlier this week. It comes in as the quickest and most powerful road-going Porsche ever made – it has already set lap records at the Nurburgring and Laguna Seca.

If you’re keen to see this in person, the GT4 e-Performance will be on display at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix next weekend.

Brett Davis

Brett started out as a motor mechanic but eventually became frustrated working on cars that weren't his. He then earned a degree in journalism and scored a job at Top Gear Australia back in 2008, and then worked at Zoom/Extreme Performance magazines, CarAdvice, and started PerformanceDrive/PDriveTV in 2011 with Josh Bennis. He's now the owner and managing editor here at Driving Enthusiast.

Related Articles

Back to top button