For the first time, Porsche has used natural fibre composites for a complete body kit.
The material is a blend of natural fibers derived primarily from renewable raw materials. The new race car marks the first time the new material has been used to build the front and rear aprons, front spoiler, front and rear covers, fenders and diffuser. Previously, Porsche had only used the material for the doors and rear wing of one of its small race cars.
The material replaces the metal and plastic injection-molded components used in the production of sports cars. The automaker notes that the non-structural components of the recycled natural fiber composite have similar performance to carbon fiber composites in terms of weight and stiffness, and it also meets the same safety and quality standards. The significant benefit is that natural fiber composites can be manufactured more economically and with less energy consumption.
Planted flax fibres form the basis for sustainable natural fibre composites and also do not affect food crops. Porsche began developing this material in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 2016.
For the tail, the layers are impregnated with epoxy resin and baked in an autoclave. The newly added fibre-reinforced plastic parts are vacuum-injected using Bcomp's proprietary dynamic rib technology to meet stiffness requirements. In addition, the material has five times the shock-absorbing capacity of other materials, and in the event of an accident, the material will break into larger pieces instead of smaller, more damaging sharp fragments.
