A new natural composites innovation in motorsport

 
photo: ©Four Motors / Gruppe C Photography

Bcomp’s long-standing collaborating with German motorsport team Four Motors and Porsche Motorsport, is launching the next evolution of natural fibre composites in motorsport. At the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours, the Four Motors Porsche GT3 Cup will use exterior body components produced with Bcomp’s grey ampliTex™, highlighting a new and innovative aesthetic for one of the world’s leading high-performance natural fibre composite materials.

It builds on previous projects with Porsche Motorsport, including the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, and Porsche Mission R. This latest iteration continues to pioneer performance-focused sustainable design, combining visual design and material sustainability in a fully integrated solution.

Ken Kruck, sales representative motorsports at Bcomp, added:“Our collaboration with Porsche Motorsport and Four Motors provides an avenue for joint innovation. These new processes allow us to deliver a new look for natural fibre composites, that is not only high-performing, but also road relevant. Following the success of coloured ampliTex™ in road car interiors, we are proud to bring this Bcomp grey as our signature motorsport colour to race cars, as shown on this stunning Four Motors Porsche GT3 Cup Car.”

The Bcomp grey tone of the parts showcases how natural materials can be tailored to blend seamlessly with high-performance design, beyond the natural gold-brown appearance of flax-fibres seen in earlier models. Road relevance is further reinforced by painted surface on the exterior parts, rather than the foil typically used in race components. While adhesive films (foils) are used to allow for rapid design changes, the use of paint further demonstrates the feasibility of natural fibre composites in high-performance road cars.

The hood, rear wing end plates and front bumper dive planes of this year’s Four Motors Porsche GT3 Cup car have been reverse engineered by Bcomp. Previously made from aluminium and carbon fibre for the production race car, these parts were manufactured using Bcomp’s coloured ampliTex™ flax fibre reinforcement fabrics. When produced in an autoclave in combination with Bcomp’s powerRibs™, natural fibre parts can achieve an equivalent stiffness and weight to carbon-fibre components. They also meet, and even surpass, the same high safety and quality standards, offering 250% better vibration damping and improved crash behaviour, mitigating against the splintering often associated with carbon fibre. Further to this, ampliTex™ is manufactured with significantly less energy, enabling a CO2 emission reduction of up to 85%.

For Four Motors, sustainability is embedded in its DNA. Competing in endurance races with its ‘Bioconcept-Cars’ for more than 2 decades, it serves as an inspiration to all who believe in a sustainable future, demonstrating efficient and effective use of state-of-the-art technologies. “A major paradigm shift is taking place. In showcasing the latest advancements in sustainable technologies through racing, we are not only inspiring change within motorsport but also facilitating progress in other vital mobility sectors, further demonstrating our commitment to – and ambition for – a greener future for the sector,” commented Thomas von Löwis of Menar, CEO and driver at Four Motors.

The Nürburgring Nordschleife, often referred to as the “Green Hell”, offers the perfect environment for validating innovative, lightweight materials under extreme real-world conditions. Matthias Scholz, director GT Racecars at Porsche Motorsport, commented: “The implemented components of the Four Motors Porsche GT3 Cup car were created in collaboration with Bcomp and Porsche Motorsport to demonstrate the next step in the material development of natural fibre components. These findings will be incorporated into future products.”

Whether racing wheel-to-wheel or fitting out an automotive interior, Bcomp’s innovative coloured products are the next evolution of sustainable composites. Combining a customer-bespoke aesthetic with exceptional material performance and circularity, they offer race teams and OEMs a viable and sustainable solution.