Get ready for an all-electric Porsche coupe and convertible.
Car & Driver reports the 2025 Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster will be all-electric, and draw inspiration from the Mission R concept.
The 911, in contrast, is set to keep its internal combustion engines beyond 2030 and mightn’t ever adopt electric propulsion.
Porsche is reportedly targeting a weight of 1655kg for the next 718, due in 2024, plus an electric range of at least 400km.
Pictured: Mission R concept
The current, base model Cayman has a kerb weight of 1365kg, though a Taycan weighs between 2072kg and 2358kg depending on the variant.
The Taycan sedan also has an electric range of between 405km and 434km, depending on the variant, and offers a choice of 79.2 and 93.4kWh batteries.
Sources tell Car & Driver the 718 will use a modified, shortened version of the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed by Audi and Porsche which will underpin, among other vehicles, the upcoming electric Macan.
Expect the 718’s adaptation of PPE to feature various unique performance components, however.
Taycan Turbo S
It’ll offer a choice of single- and dual-motor electric powertrains with a single-speed drive, with more powerful versions of the future 718 featuring a second electric motor at the front.
These more powerful versions will reportedly offer performance comparable to members of the 911 family, though Porsche isn’t said to be concerned about cannibalisation given the very different propulsion types that’ll be employed by the new 718 and 911.
The 718’s interior will reportedly be even more futuristic than that of the Taycan, a nod to the current car’s customer base – the average age of a 718 buyer in the crucial Chinese market is just 31 years old.
The Boxster may retain a soft-top, which would make it unusual for an electric vehicle – we’ve seen an explosion in the number of electric sedan and SUV models, but electric convertibles are essentially non-existent.
Expect the production 718’s exterior to resemble that of the Mission R from the 2021 Munich motor show, particularly the wider-looking front end with Taycan-esque headlights.
That Mission R could presage a vehicle for a fully electric racing series – Porsche has yet to officially announce such a move, but has called the concept a “baseline” for this.
The Mission R concept features a dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain, with a 320kW motor powering the front axle and a 480kW motor at the rear. Both motors, like the battery, feature direct oil cooling.
The Mission R produces a constant power output of 500kW in race mode and can produce up to 800kW of power in what Porsche calls “qualifying mode”.
It has a claimed 0-100km/h time of less than 2.5 seconds, as well as a top speed of over 300km/h.
900V technology allows the driver to charge the 80kWh battery at up to 340kW, with a 15 minute stop in the pits allowing you to charge it from five to 80 per cent.
Porsche says the recuperation system makes sprint racing possible with no loss of output.
The current 718 range offers a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally-aspirated six-cylinder engines.
In flagship Spyder and Cayman GT4 variants, the 4.0-litre flat-six pumps out 309kW of power and 430Nm of torque, with 0-100km/h times of as low as 3.9 seconds with the PDK dual-clutch automatic specified.
MORE: Everything Porsche 718
