In what might be the longest and most drawn out move to electrified performance, the next-generation Boxster and Cayman will finally go all-electric. The sportscar maker from Stuttgart has been trying to cram batteries and electric motors into its entry level sports car for at least 15 years. There was an attempt with the 987-generation Boxster E shown above, and the 981-generation Boxster E-Mobility and Cayman E-Mobility which I’m fairly certain nearly made it to production. While it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting an electric or even hybrid in the 718 for the time being, come 2025 the next-gen sports coupe and roadster will be solely powered by electrons.
We speculated on this possibility a few months ago, and it’s always been at the back of our minds, taunting us. Then, a couple weeks ago Porsche showed off the Mission R concept, which is most likely a preview of what the next-gen 718 is going to look like. At last it looks like Porsche is finally going to deliver on the electric compact sports car dream. It is finally going to happen. According to sources in a report from Car and Driver, the next Boxster and Cayman will be fully battery electric. This project will be completely divorced from future 911s, which the report also says “will retain its combustion engine beyond 2030 and may not even become hybridized.”
The report goes on to note that the car will feature a brand-new sports car chassis, and will not be built on a shortened version of the Taycan’s PPE platform, like previously thought. Base models will use a single rear motor, while higher spec versions will have dual motors for AWD propulsion, both using a single-speed gearbox, unlike the Taycan’s 2-speed rear box. Pricing will likely fall somewhere between where the current 718 and current 992 sit, so between 60 and 100 grand. Weight is rumored to be targeting 3650 pounds, which generally points to a smaller battery array, but Porsche allegedly is aiming for 250 miles of range at least.
If Porsche stays on the development track that it is reported to be on, the car will appear in 2024 as a 2025 model year unit, and it will be coming to U.S. shores.