The 718 Cayman and Boxster are set to go electric for the 2025 model year and will feature futuristic design and technology to keep range high and weight low. Car and Driver reports that unnamed sources within Porsche have spilled the beans on the future of the 718, which was previewed by the Mission R concept car. If you remove the wild aero and the more racecar-like bits, it’s a good indicator of what the Porsche design team is planning for the upcoming model.
The overall body style will remain similar to the current model, but it will get a Taycan-style front end with wide headlights. Inside, it will be more futuristic than the current model to appeal to customers in its most important market, well-heeled young people in China. Fans of the 718 may be dismayed that the small, uncomplicated sports car is getting a heavy electric drivetrain, but Porsche is looking to keep it as light as possible with a target weight of 1,651 kg. That’s still around 272 kg more than the 718 Cayman, but it’s nearly a thousand pounds less than the Taycan.
Those weight savings will be achieved thanks to a brand new electric platform that’s much more than just a shortened PPE platform. Sharing some parts with other less fancy models will keep it affordable, but with Porsche in charge of all of the equipment responsible for the way it drives, it should be able to strike a balance between affordable and fun. The model will retain its name and will continue to be priced significantly lower than the 911. Even if the price does rise a bit as compared to the internal combustion model, it won’t rise too much.
The driving range is not yet settled, but 250 miles is said to be the minimum target. Power is not final either, but it will be a rear-wheel-drive car as standard, with a twin-motor AWD version available for higher performance models. The same report says that those higher-power models could stray into 911 territory, which Porsche doesn’t expect to be too much of an issue because the two cars will remain quite different. Along with being told about the 718 going electric, the outlet was told that the 911 could remain internal combustion-powered into the 2030s. It might not even go hybrid between now and then.
Indeed, Porsche has previously indicated that an electric 911 doesn’t really make sense since the placement of the engine is the main ingredient for the model. It has also invested heavily in eFuels, which it claims are nearly as green as EVs. No such trouble for the 718, though, as it’s much less burdened by the weight of its history.
