Spotted: Extreme Porsche Taycan GT4 RS Reaches Its Limits at Nurburgring

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      One might think that attempts to set records at the Nurburgring are cold, calculated efforts leading only to new benchmarks or minor tweaks. However, this isn't always true. Recent spy photos of the most extreme Porsche Taycan to date—possibly a GT4 RS variant—illustrate that some damage is often part of the process at The Green Hell. After admiring the imposing fixed rear wing, take a look at the damaged diffuser in the images below.

      According to a source, Porsche made two attempts for a Nurburgring record on Wednesday, but encountered issues during both runs. Factory driver Lars Kern reportedly drove a blue super EV around the Nordschleife under ideal conditions, but after hitting the ground too hard on one of the 150+ turns, the diffuser sustained critical damage that stopped the attempt. The photos show the extent of the damage, with the strakes of the aero equipment compromised and the entire assembly taped to the rear bumper of the Taycan.

      There was also a purple Taycan attempting a run with a similar body kit, featuring the aforementioned fixed rear wing, a large diffuser, and front wheel arch vents. It sported aero discs on the rear wheels, a modification we’ve seen on performance Taycans during testing. Our source shared that while this vehicle did not incur any damage during its fastest run, it did not achieve optimal balance, leading to the lap being discarded.

      Initially, it was thought these cars, with their aggressive bodywork and half-cages in place of rear seats, were Taycan Turbo GTs with an upcoming optional Manthey aero kit. However, that seems to be incorrect now. It's clear that Manthey is part of the project, as the blue Taycan was seen entering an area adorned with the motorsport specialist's branding, suggesting a role in development. Our spy photographer has also indicated that these vehicles may produce more power than the already impressive Turbo GT, which delivers 1,092 horsepower.

      I am interested to know if Porsche will use the GT RS name for this model, as it would be the first EV to do so. The aggressive aerodynamics certainly bring to mind the traits seen on 911 and Cayman GT RS models. Furthermore, this could potentially be the first Taycan to complete a lap around the Nurburgring in under seven minutes, with the Turbo GT’s current fastest lap standing at 7:07.55. For context, that’s still quite far from the current-gen 911 GT3 RS, which recorded a time of 6:44.848 in 2022.

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