Four students at the Fontys Minor Motorsport Engineering school in the Netherlands have built the car that Porsche is afraid to because it has too much awesome in one package. Porsche’s Boxster and Cayman are already amazing platforms, and are quite easy to live with on a daily basis. I daily drove a Boxster for several years, and it served quite well. But if you have to carry more than a briefcase or a duffel bag, you might be hard pressed to find space for it in Porsche’s mid-engine platform. That’s why these students built what amounts to a Cayman Shooting Brake, and it is so incredibly great. I wish Porsche would build something like this right now.
The students began with a fresh 986 Boxster for the project because it’s an inexpensive and reliable platform to modify. It’s a well balanced chassis with great handling and a superb flat-six engine. Because the car is already an open-top design, the chassis itself is stiff enough to accept a hard top without issue. The team of engineering students worked with Van Thull Development to develop this car’s composite bodywork. Up front, the car is fitted with 997 GT3 carbon bodywork, including a headlight update and new lightweight materials. Out back the car makes use of 991-style tail lights and a custom bumper and fascia. The rear hatch and roof assembly come from a Peugeot!
The finished product looks fabulous, especially with the Miami Blau paint and black accent. This car looks like it could be a factory-built special edition for folks who enjoy Grand Touring across Europe with a full bevvy of equipment.
The best part is that Van Thull is already working on building this as a kit for your own Boxster hatchback conversion. Pretty cool if you ask me. Maybe I’ll order one.