nineball

for those that hate links....few months ago, we speculated on Porsche's plans to turn the 718 into a fully electric car. Now we have gathered additional material from different sources within and outside the company. Not only did we get confirmation that it will be a full battery-electric vehicle, we also gathered that it will be fundamentally detached from the 911—which, we learned, will retain its combustion engine beyond 2030 and may not even become hybridized.

The 718 will continue to be sold in both Boxster and Cayman form. And while the last word has not been spoken, it is almost 100 percent certain that the Boxster will retain its fabric top instead of moving to a fixed-roof solution. Its body style will remain relatively close to the current models, but it will feature Porsche's new "electric front" with wider headlights, just like on the Taycan.

The next 718's design has just been previewed by the Mission R concept car at the Munich IAA auto show. Without the wild aero, and scaled down in its aggressive demeanor, the Mission R gives a good idea of what a production 718 Cayman could look like.

We haven't seen the interior yet, but we are assured it will be the brand's most futuristic yet, more forward-looking than the Taycan and a massive leap from the conservatively styled current 718 cockpit. In designing the user interface, Porsche is keeping the customer base in mind: In China, the most important market, the average age of a 718 buyer is just 31. We are told, "This will be the most modern Porsche."

Sports-car fans have been concerned that an electric 718 could become excessively heavy; a Taycan, after all, comes in between 4568 pounds for the entry-level model with the small battery and 5199 pounds for the Turbo S Cross Turismo, despite its not-exactly-spacious package. The 718, on the other hand, will be almost a miracle of lightweight technology: The internal target weight is under 3650 pounds.

P

orsche achieves this by putting the 718 onto a newly developed sports-car platform and not just on a shortened version of the PPE platform. Economies of scale will be realized with electronics and invisible components, but a lot of components related to dynamics remain unique.

Power ratings are still up in the air, but we have learned that the entry-level versions, priced to significantly undercut the 911 and stay within reach of the current 718, will have a rear motor. Higher-powered versions will add a front motor, making the electric 718 the first all-wheel-drive iteration of the nameplate. Like the Mission R concept and unlike the Taycan, the next 718 will get a single-speed drive.

Inadequate range is the elephant in the room for EVs, and this is especially true of pleasure machines like the 718. We are told that 250 miles of range is the acceptable minimum and that "more is better." And Porsche is working hard on increasing both range and charging performance.

In terms of power, the top-level versions will reach well into 911 territory. But Porsche is not concerned about overlap because the choice between the electric 718 and the gasoline-powered 911 will represent fundamentally different technologies. And we expect it to remain that way, since Porsche is not entertaining a scenario in which it would turn the 911 into an EV. Hybrid technology is a no-go for the fully electric new 718, and it is by no means decided for future iterations on the 911, where it would incur a hefty weight penalty. As far as racing is concerned, the Mission R could pave the way for a fully electric racing series, but nothing is decided yet.

The next 718, which will most likely keep its name, is slated for a market launch in 2024. It will come to the U.S. as a 2025 model, unless plans are pushed back. The current, gasoline-powered model could be sold alongside the electric one briefly. The duration of its production run will be determined by the upcoming Euro 7 emissions regulation, which could wreak havoc on the further refinement of gasoline engines.

Hurs

Yikes! Heavier than a midsize SUV. 100 lbs heavier than Audi A6.

servicemodel

I think this is pretty neat although I’m sure many or most here may disagree. My only experience with an EV was a Tesla Model 3 Performance. The straight line acceleration was insane but I disliked the exterior design and overall interior. The other performance electric vehicles such as the Taycan, e-tron or even Lucid may have better designs and quality but they are all boats and are more luxury sedans. It’d be great to see a “driver’s car” in EV format and if I had to pick a manufacturer to do such a thing it would be Porsche.

servicemodel

Some of the 911s are not that far off…at around 3400 lbs. And the distribution of that extra weight will be much different than a SUV obviously. I’d say they’re heading in the right direction at least with the Taycan as a starting point above 4500 lbs!

Hurs

So to summarize :

- no more NA engines
- no more manual transmissions
- no more analog instrument clusters
- no more lightweight sports cars
- no more endurance racing

we will get a Porsche-branded iPhone on wheels designed for 30 y/o Chinese women

servicemodel

So then buy the current model. You still have a couple of years..or you could buy pre-owned when they stop producing the NA models. I’m not sure if it gets much better than what we have now at this price point. The evolution from 981 wasn’t that much (some would argue they went backwards with the turbos) and I can’t imagine much more than just refining the 718/982. I’d say we are at the pinnacle of ICE and it’d be interesting to see what they can do with EVs in the next 10 yrs. I guarantee it’ll be step changes in advancements compared to ICE.

Ksdaoski

On the bright side, people will stop asking on BAT, to see the rev report...

nineball

getting performance out of an EV is not hard. take a ride in a tesla with ludicrous mode. it's quite the experience. porsche already has suspension down pat. i think it could be a good thing.

the only problem i have with EVs is the range. until they have some form of instant charging or a battery that magically lasts for a few days of use i won't be on the bandwagon. for example i drive from ohio to alabama every year for a weekend at barber. that is 730 miles one way, towing my 718 and loaded for the track. impossible with an EV, even if i was driving the EV and not towing it.

ldamelio

On the bright side, maybe some of the flat 6 fetishists will stop complaining about the sound of our T4 cars.

HobbitHouse

I am on a few Cayman Facebook groups... My goodness it gets toxic. Some guy was asking for a headunit upgrade for his 981 and the comments were all just "WHO DOES THAT JUST LISTEN TO THAT GLORIOUS FLAT 6!"

leaf345

There’s a good chance I’d be interested in an electric 718, even if I keep my NA GTS.

Hurs

Until you need to turn... or stop. Or to repeat this acceleration a couple more times.
No amount of suspension engineering will fix extra 650 lbs. You cant fool Nature.

Porsche better not keep the 718 designation for this electric atrocity. The weight of original 718 was 1250lbs. That was a sports car. The new EV model will be a pig. No amount of fancy displays or touchscreens will change that.

worf928

You forgot:
- useful controls buried 37-levels deep in the touch screen UI that you can’t operate while driving

FrenchToast

I'm not aware of any midsize SUV that weighs less than 3600 lbs. An Audi Q3, which is basically a lifted AWD Golf, weighs 3900.

A '21 A6 sedan weighs about 4200. A '96 A6 still weighs 3700.

3650 is pretty light for an electric car. Porsche is pretty good at balancing value-engineering and lightweight construction.

If Porsche can make a Cayman handle as well as it does (it has its limits) with MacPherson struts at all four corners, I have no doubt they can make an extra 500 lbs handle pretty damn well. They wouldn't put their name on it unless it did. Will it have very complex electronic stability and damping systems? Yes. Modern cars handle the way they do because of torque vectoring, adaptive damping, etc. If you're looking for a simple car you're looking in the wrong place.

My opinions on electric cars are irrelevant. I'm pretty sure Porsche will make a good one.

GeoJoe

If I have to give up my 3rd pedal, it's going to have a plug.