The Porsche Taycan EV lineup is taking the world by storm. Last year, the Taycan offerings outsold the legendary Porsche 911. So, it only makes sense that the iconic German manufacturer continues to delve more into the EV world. However, this announcement may not make everyone excited.
The Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster will lose their engines for good
2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS | Porsche
According to Edmunds, rumors of an electrified version of the “entry-level” Porsche models have been floating around for some time now. The 718 chassis vehicles, both the Cayman and the Boxster, are mid-engine sports cars that offer a more affordable entry into the brand. However, high-performance variants provide genuine alternatives to the 911 for a fraction of the cost in more recent years.
Now, though, Porsche confirmed these rumors to be true. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume made the record straight in his annual press conference.
“We are stepping up our electric offensive with another model. By the middle of the decade, we want to offer our mid-engine 718 sports car exclusively in an all-electric form,” said Blume.
Oh look, it's the Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder, with the 911 GT3's engine 😍 https://t.co/M5SuoJ7cgw pic.twitter.com/dt4mkkP0dz
— Autocar (@autocar) February 4, 2018
As many Porsche fans also theorized, the EV 718s are based heavily on the Porsche Mission R concept. The Mission R is an all-electric dual-motor concept car that the company revealed in 2021. It has 1,088 horsepower and is said to have a zero to 60 mile per hour time of under 2.5 seconds. So, while the engine is going away, the performance of the 718 vehicles is only going to increase.
Blume also revealed that the company will build the cars on an entirely new platform. He stated that the platform is designed exclusively for two-door vehicles. That phrasing makes it sound as if it isn’t exclusive just to the 718 family. So, the chances of seeing an all-electric Porsche 911 in the future are a very real possibility.
Will Porsche 911 ever be electric?
1987 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 | National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Porsche is not shy about its dedication to electric vehicles. The company set a goal to have 80 percent of its sales come from electric vehicles by the end of 2030. While that seems like the distant future, it’s only eight years away. So, drastic changes to the lineup and major switches from gasoline to electric seem imminent. Though it’s hard to imagine such a significant departure from the standard of the iconic 911, it also seems pretty likely that it will eventually come to that.
It is a wild thought, though, that the 911’s basic format hasn’t changed in over 50 years. It’s a rear-engine sports car with a transaxle and a flat-six engine. Since its debut as the 901 all the way back in 1963, it’s been that way. However, another way to view it is the abandonment of air-cooled technology after the 993 generation. Porsche’s decision to switch to water-cooled engines was considered sacrilege by some purists.
Ultimately, Porsche’s dedication to their EV switch seems to be unapologetically full-steam ahead. It is a bit sad to see the heritage of the legendary Porsche flat engine behind to die off. However, there’s no doubt that Porsche will retain its spot on the cutting edge of technology and performance with its EVs. Whatever the company winds up producing is sure to be incredible.
Keyword: Porsche Confirms 718 Family to Go Exclusively Electric