Kancamagus

I drove a Tesla P85 in INSANE mode the other day and was gobsmacked. Ripping off low 3 second launches while eating macaroni salad and quietly discussing politics. I was struck by how the instantaneous massive torque fundamentally changed the driving experience (675ftlbs IIRC). As my weekender, I don’t really need extended range from an electrified Boxster. I can only imagine that it will weigh over 3500 lbs, if anyone knows the target weight please “weigh” in. And I really cant quantify how the absence of an exhaust note will undermine the experience. But....I truly believe, after my experience with the P85, that a 3500 lb Boxster with 500ftlbs torque at 0 RPM would be soooo much fun. And you could hear the tires at the limits of adhesion more favorably. I think I would happily give up all that will be missing, and that’s from a guy who ranks the sound of my GTS in the top three attributes of the car. What do you folks think?

WenigerAberBeser

I use my Spyder for fun (A to A) drives only and I love that it is not that fast, requires me to shift, has great steering/mechanicals, and is unique. I think you lose that with Teslas, EVs, and most modern sports cars these days.

Tesla - good for commuting, daily driving... not really a fun weekend car. IMO

garfunkle

Zero interest. The engine character and reviving the flat 6 out is a large factor in spending money on this car.

Kancamagus

I was referring to the 2023 all electric Cayman/Boxster.

tommietnk

I own a Tesla Model 3 Performance. It snaps off 0-60 in 3.1 seconds. Those runs literally make me dizzy including my "car guy" passengers. I was amazed for a very long time at how fast the car was. And unlike more traditional vehicles, the wear and tear is vastly less on the drivetrain than lets say a manual Boxster. Oh, and it cost nothing to "fuel" up. Kind of like owning a blender. With that said, I picked up an s2000 after a year and more recently a 981 S. I actually don't like the idea of a pure EV roadster. The sound is 40% of the experience. The handling of a light weight car is perhaps another 30%. While incredibly impressive, a possible EV boxster will leave us wanting for more.

NAMR6MT

All I know is, hold on to your ICE sports cars as if they're your family jewels. Give them extra TLC as in shorter preventative maintenance intervals. Listen for any hiccups and have them addressed sooner than later. Once these things go the way of the dodo, no amount of political special interest pressure will bring them back. That said, if anyone can develop and produce a properly fun EV 2-seater, it'll be Porsche. And if they don't get it right the first time, their tenacity and willingness to listen to their customers will help get it right with the second generation/LCI.

CaymanCarver

Didn't know it was coming so soon. Thanks for the tip.

..it cost nothing to "fuel" up. Well NOT EXACTLY.

That's only true if you recharge from solar panels ..n' then is only practical if you also have the battery storage ..else you're only driving the car at night!
So the solar panels and/or battery storage and/or a 2nd Tesla to rotate driving/charging positions can add up to a lot of infrastructure costs $$$.

If you're plugging into the power grid to charge the car, another fun fact (completely over-looked), is the efficiency of the delivery mechanism (over the power lines).
Electric power transport efficiency will fluctuate with seasonal temperatures. In the hot summer months (~33% of the time) this efficiency rating will decrease to less
than half that of pump gas, which is constant at ~90% efficiency. Under the best conditions electricity only has ~70% of the transport efficiency of pump gas.

IMHO, EV's today are only a smidgen more efficient than a high mpg hybrid (e.g. Prius).

Electricity isn't free (unless solar). Somebody somewhere is paying for the costs of electricity.

Kancamagus

As i indicated in my original post, the sound of the 3.4 with PSE is one of the top attributes I value. But we talk a lot about incremental changes in engine performance, and routinely pay over 100/HP to modify our cars. Assuming that Porsche can somewhat offset the additional weight relative to handling, as in the Tacan, the improvements to power delivery, and the fact that it will be 4WD, deliver more than will be lost. That is my point. Not for everybody fosho, but I am eagerly awaiting what they come up with...

garfunkle

Some value the ability to stop and go around a corner effectively over excessive power. Batteries are heavy and anything you gain to help with a drag race will hurt you in an autocross for example so if your jam is mountain driving then electric cars will take away from the experience. Accelerating quickly is a one trick pony that gets old quick.

tommietnk

Hyperbole man. Compared to other sports car than can do 0-60 in 3 seconds, it feels waaay cheaper.

garfunkle

No regular sports cars can do 0-60 in 3 seconds. No cars under 3,000 pounds and under 200K. Power and acceleration aside - there is no replacement for tossing around a lightweight car.

I think these conversations are also very geographically dependent. First an electric car is just a hassle to take it anywhere fun to drive(lets pretend electric cars are actually fun to drive). Secondly, even if you "could" get to a fun place; in most parts of the country there still isn't the infrastructure to charge. Third; even if there was.... what a hassle to wait all day?

Such a different thread than "how can I make my street car louder on the inside to hear the engine better and reduce weight!"

tommietnk

For the record I'm all about keeping Cayman/Boxster ICE but let me nitpick as well.

High performance EVs are fun in different ways. Take a Model 3 Performance and switch on Drift Mode. It's hilariously fun

If the correct infrastructure existed, you wouldn't be waiting all day. A 350kw charger can charge a Taycan from 5-80% in 23 minutes for it's large 95kwh battery. That a nice bathroom/lunch/coffee break. While there are gaps in the ideal charging infrastructure now, it's only an upgrade away. There already is electricity nearly every in the US. It's just a matter of getting the "pipe" and charger where we want it.

WenigerAberBeser

Funny how Tesla drivers need a special mode to drift their cars

tommietnk

And it's not any different from any late model Porsche being put into Sport, Sport Plus, or removing traction/stability control via a button.

WenigerAberBeser

exactly! So drift mode is not a differentiator in the model 3 compared to most ICE cars. ICE cars can do exact same thing and add a beautiful soundtrack, which EVs can never do (naturally)