It was on the Nürburgring circuit that they recently caught this bizarre Porsche 718 Cayman , where we see flares added to the original mudguards, filled with foam to better fill the largest available space.
It's not the first time we've seen test prototypes of this kind at Porsche. As a rule, these "test mules" are used to test new chassis and even platforms, which means that the body of the model used does not "fit" properly in this new base.
Which leads us to ask: what will Porsche be preparing here?
Let the speculation begin
First of all it doesn't appear to be a new high-performance version of the 718 Cayman. Just a couple of days ago we showed spy photos of the future 718 Cayman GT4 RS and, despite all the aerodynamic apparatus involved, these test prototypes weren't nearly as wide as this one.
Will it be a first test prototype for the next generation 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster? A more plausible hypothesis. Despite the generous extensions, the lanes are not that wide, with the wheels still being far enough inside the trough, especially at the front. Besides, it wouldn't make sense to have a 718 as wide or wider than the 911.
Another hypothesis has to do with the recently raised possibility of the next generation of the 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster becoming 100% electric. However, despite the visible exhaust outlets that indicate the presence of a combustion engine (which may just be decoration), the prototypes for testing electric cars must necessarily have several stickers that identify them as such.
That said, the authors of the spy photos mentioned that they couldn't hear the engine of this “test mule”, as it was closely followed by a Lamborghini Huracán STO that “muffled” all the sounds around it. And if there is an electric 718 which base would you use? The new PPE? It could help to justify the additional width, as this platform will serve, above all, models with higher segments, hence larger dimensions.
Note also the stickers with marks (a bit like the QR Codes), which can be found around the entire bodywork. Could they be directly related to the purpose of this prototype testing, serving as reference points, like those used in motion capture, to later digitally replace this enlarged 718 Cayman with something else?
More suggestions?
