Billed as the Boxster Spyder RS, the ultimate incarnation of the 718 will be the most hardcore version of the convertible yet. What comes next will be an entirely different car as the house of Zuffenhausen has already announced that its small sports car will be purely electric. Porsche will therefore apply a different strategy compared to the 911, which will first switch to hybrid before losing its ICE after 2030.
To signal its EV ambitions, Porsche unveiled the Mission R concept about a year ago as an all-electric race car with aggressive aerodynamics and nearly 1,000 horsepower. The next Boxster EV won’t be quite as dramatic, but some of the styling cues should carry over to the road model. A new render from our pals at Engine.es tries to predict the future of the convertible by adapting the concept’s DNA to a more docile car.
15 Pictures
Because good things come in pairs, the premium German brand is also working on a new Cayman with a fixed metal roof that should be even closer to the Mission R. It should be noted that last year’s concept was actually based on the current Cayman GT4 Clubsport. . The current production version will be based on an adaptation of the forthcoming Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed with Audi, meaning some of the proportions will change after the older ICE bones are removed.
Porsche argues that the electric 718 duo will stick to the mid-engine configuration of gasoline models by installing the battery between the axles. This will give sporty electric vehicles a lower center of gravity and optimized weight distribution to improve handling. Speaking of which, the all-wheel-drive Mission R with its dual motors tipped the scales at just 1,500 kilograms (3,306 pounds). That’s an impressive curb weight considering the Cayman GT4 RS weighs just 85 kg (187 lb) less.
While it’s perfectly normal to be skeptical about the prospects of an electric sports car, if there’s one automaker that can do it, it’s Porsche. With the Taycan, the company has demonstrated that even a fairly large and heavy vehicle can appeal to enthusiasts while still offering the practicality of a four-door model.
Before the 718 goes electric, the Macan will do the same sometime next year and coexist peacefully with the petrol model for a short time. Later this decade, a large SUV built in Leipzig will be added to the range of electric vehicles.
