Lykan Hypersport Takes Form on a Porsche Boxster Chassis
Porsche roots are obvious when the Lykan body panels are fitted to the stretched Boxster chassis.
Earlier this week, we brought you a look at the Porsche Boxster S that is being transformed into a Lykan Hypersport by Casey Putsch of Genius Garage Racing. The VINWiki YouTube channel bought the Hypersport replica from the Fast and Furious Live show and Putsch is working with various Genius Garage students to turn the show prop into a running, driving supercar. The donor vehicle is a 2007 Porsche Boxster S and they chose this car because the Lykan is based on a 911 architecture, and while the Boxster is a bit smaller, they believe that the build will work.
The first step was to lengthen the chassis, as the Boxster is about eight inches shorter than the Lykan. Once Putsch and his assistants removed the body and many other components of the Porsche and added the extra length to the wheelbase, they were ready to test fit the body. That is where the video above from Putsch’s YouTube channel picks up, with a student named Cameron Hickson helping to create the exterior look of the Lykan.
The Prepared Chassis
The video begin with Putsch and Hickson taking a look at the elongated Porsche chassis. The previous video ended with the first pieces of chassis extensions being welded into place. When this video begins, all of those items have been welded into place, all of that new metal has been painted to protect against corrosion and the windshield has been removed. In removing the windshield and the a-pillars, they uncovered a section of thick metal tubing that was retained, and which will serve as a connecting point for the custom roof cage of the Lykan.
Next, the two move to the front of the car, where they show us how well the dash extension fits on the Porsche chassis. The Lykan windshield extends out much further than the Boxster, so there is a painted panel between the base of the glass and the dashboard. Since the Lykan was based on a Porsche, that panel fits perfectly against the Boxster dash assembly.
What does not fit with the Lykan body is the cooling system shrouding from the Porsche. The Hypersport front fascia is much tighter to the chassis, so there is no room for the big shroud. Putsch and his team will have to make a custom shroud, but they also have to create custom fender wells, so there is lots of fabrication left just to secure the body. However, Putsch wanted to give viewers a chance to see how well the Hypersport body fits the stretched Porsche chassis, so he and Hickson mocked-up the majority of the body panels with a little duct tape.
Porsche Becomes a Lykan
Putsch and Hickson begin assembling the body of the Lykan Hypersport by laying the large center roof section on the Porsche chassis. This piece includes the pillars and the areas around the doors, but as we see, there are random pieces of metal mounted to the body that held the crude replica together. There are also random wood screws holding parts of the outer roof shell in place, making it clear that the team will have to do far more than just bolt the body down.
Next, Putsch and Hickson install the front fascia and the A-pillar covers, holding everything in place with duct tape. The hood goes on next, and while Putsch and Hickson estimate that the build is only about 25% complete, taping most of the body to the Boxster chassis brings the car to life. The quick body fitment also shows how well the Lykan body fits on the Porsche chassis after the extra length is added.
The last exterior bits that are installed in the video above are the windshield and the rocker panels. None of the rear pieces go on, but with what is fabbed-up in this video, we really get a great look at the intended end result.
Suspension Preview
At several points throughout the video above, Putsch talks about the suspension systems of the Boxster and the Lykan. The Boxster uses a tradition Macpherson design while the Hypersport uses inboard-mounted shocks with push rods extending to the wheels. They hint that they might eventually add the race-style suspension, but for the time being, they are sticking with the Macpherson design.
The video ends with Putsch giving us a look at the aftermarket coilovers they will be using on the Boxster to improve handling performance. These dampers will allow the team to adjust ride height, camber and stiffness to balance the chassis and better stick to the road.
While this Porsche Boxster S is a long way from being a Lykan Hypersport right now, the project is well under way and Putsch is making great progress with his team of Genius Garage students.
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