A Closer Look At The Porsche Boxster EV
The Porsche Boxster EV is a stellar example of the future of what automobile electrification shall look like in the […]
Monza Staff
The Porsche Boxster EV is a stellar example of the future of what automobile electrification shall look like in the future.
The ICE Porsche Boxster and Cayman have been doomed for a while now. After years of waiting, Porsche has finally announced that it will no longer offer gasoline-powered models of its 718 dynamic duos and replace them with exclusively electric ones. The Mission R concept was the automaker’s attempt to build a fully electric automobile, as shown in September 2021. However, it wasn’t until just a few days ago that a prototype was spotted testing out. For now, only speculative rendering attempts have been undertaken to reveal how Porsche will transform its entry-level sports cars in the future.
On the surface, the revamped 718 models are going to carry over some of the design as seen previously in the 2021 Mission R, including the narrow, rectangular stance of the headlights. Even though the four and six-cylinder engines will be removed, they will retain the mid-engine proportions of the current Boxster and Cayman. Moreover, the Boxster EV will be a supreme example of Porsche’s driving dynamics.
The Cleverly Concealed Design
At first glance, the prototype seems to have imposingly large air intakes at the front. It might even have hidden an LED light bar at the rear to echo the concept car’s LED lights.
Since the Mission R was designed for specialized track use, logic tells us that it will not have the same hard-edged look as the initial plan, but we can already envision an electric GT-badged Cayman or a Boxster Spyder with a dramatic aerodynamic package. A few design details remain a secret for the time being, as Porsche cleverly camouflaged the prototype.
Even though some of the components will be shared with other vehicles, the platform will be developed specifically for this application and will be created for it. The Mission R model was based on the current Cayman, and the production model will be an all-new car; the Mission R was technically a modified version of the current Cayman. There was a description of the concept claiming to have a little more than 1000 horsepower derived from an extremely potent dual-motor setup, allowing for a sprint from 0 to 62 mph in approximately two and a half seconds.
The Pure Electric Power
As such, it seems highly unlikely that the automobile of the future will pack this much electric power by the time it comes to the streets in 2025. Furthermore, the 2025 Boxster/Cayman EV is unlikely to reach the 186 mph advertised for the Mission R. Hopefully, Porsche will be able to reduce the extra bulk of the batteries with a concept car that weighs only around 85 kg (187 lbs) more than a Cayman GT4 RS. The concept weighed 3,306 lbs, which is relatively light.
A battery pack will be mounted on the floor of the battery-powered Porsche Boxster, which will be stacked behind the driver and the front passenger instead of hidden under the floor – like the Alpine A110 E-ternite. It will be available in either a single or two-motor electric version, with the single-motor version being capable of pushing an impressive 500 horsepower. Keeping that in mind, it could leave much space for double-motor AWD versions, probably somewhere between 700 to 800 horsepower. This means the most powerful Boxster ever could be purely electric.
Additionally, with the addition of a hybrid option, Porsche will be able to continue using internal combustion engines in the 911, thus reducing the pressure on electric vehicle sales to keep CO2 fleet averages down, especially if the synthetic fuel market continues to receive investment and development.
The Boxster’s Other Electric Siblings On The Way
As a precursor to the next-generation Macan-based electric sports cars, Porsche will introduce the next-generation Macan as a strictly electric vehicle in 2024. A larger zero-emission SUV will follow the electric 718 in the decade’s second half. In addition to an all-electric 911, a hybrid 911 is also in the works for the future, but the first purely-electric 911 will likely arrive in 2030.
There is little that can be done to make the 718 an electric sports car beyond technical details, but ultimately the question is whether the effort and expense needed to transform this new 718 into an electric sports car are worth it. Porsche’s decision to transform the next Boxster and Cayman into electric-only models could prove more profitable, especially if the governing bodies worldwide continue to impose tightening regulations upon combustion models.