Porsche Cayman EV Electric Performance in a Compact Sports Car
GTS Sport Package.
Maximum individuality and an even more purposeful design these are the characteristics of the
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The crowning achievement of the young Rimac empire is theNevera, which is the follow-up to the Concept One and C_Two show cars,the former having arguably kick-started the electric hypercar trend with its 1073bhp output and 670,000 asking price when it debuted in 2017. Just 150 examples of the Nevera will be made, almost all of which are apparently spoken for. It's appeal has only been enhanced by many by its recent record-breaking EV top speed run, when it topped 256mph.
The hardware is compelling, if somewhat eye-watering. The car is built around a composite tub, and there's an electric motor for each wheel, with independent single-speed gearboxes at the front and two two-speed dual-clutch 'boxes for the back axle. The aim is to ensure the Nevera can make the most of its 1888bhp and, more important, its mountainous 1696lb ft.
With double-wishbone suspension, torque vectoring, and the potential for level four autonomous driving, the car has the works - and an eye-watering 1.8 million price tag to match. It finishes just below the closely related Battista mainly because we've spent more time in the Italian version.
Over the decades, there have been many false dawns for Maserati, but somehow the iconic Italian brand has failed to move out of the shadows of its early-1950s heyday, when its cars were winning Formula 1 world championships on the track and the hearts of enthusiasts on the road. Yet while this recent attempt to reset and go again could ultimately flatter to deceive once more, there are reasons to be hopeful that this time the Modenese maker is finally on the path to success.
First up, there was the lauch last year of the sensational MC20 supercar, then it pulled the covers off a new mid-sized SUV (crucial for sales success) and now there's the all-new Granturismo, a coup that's designed to do exactly what it says on the tin. More importantly, it's the first Maserati to get the all-electric treatment. Known as the Folgore (that's thunderbolt in English), its based on all-new, largely aluminium platform that's designed to work with both ICE and BEV powertrains.
It hasthe raw statistics:with a tri-motor set-up (two at the back for torque vectoring and one at the front), it delivers 751bhp for 0-62mph in 2.7sec and a 199mph top speed. What's more, it's battery (83kWh for a claimed range of 280 miles)has been designed in an elongated H-shapelayout, with the centre section slotting down the spin of the car. Not only does this deliver a lower seating position, butit also centres the masses and helps to give the car greated agilty.
Electric Porsche Boxster: new pictures of near-production sports EV
New electric Porsche Boxster spied Latest on next 718 Cayman/Boxster EVs Sports cars confirmed for 2025
Stuttgart is preparing to bolster its electric car range with an all-electric replacement for the Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman twins and the camouflage is gradually dropping from the prototypes spied on wintry cold-weather testing in Scandinavia.
Porsches junior sports car has been snapped by our spy photographers inside and out. The latest batch of photos reveal fresh details like the production headlamps, which follow the multi-LED graphic seen on other new Porsche electric cars such as the recently unveiled new Taycan and Macan.
The 718 is the next electric model on Porsches launchpad.
Note how the fake exhaust pipes have been removed from the latest test cars, while slimline horizontal lights run across the rump.
Zuffenhausen is planning a pair of sports cars, electrified to take the entry-level Porsche bloodline into the EV age. The styling is remarkably evolutionary you wont mistake this test hack for anything other than a Boxster but the major changes lie beneath the skin.
Both the Boxster and Cayman will be based around a new electric car architecture dubbed SSP Sport. It allows for rear- or all-wheel drive sports cars and is designed to keep the heft as low as possible, in a bid to counter the natural weight gain associated with plugging in.
An extreme diet is one of the key reasons why Porsche has ploughed ahead with electric versions of its bigger saloons and SUVs first; its waiting for battery tech and weight to improve before committing to its first electric sports car.
Electric Porsche Boxster: same-again looks, radical revolution under the skin
In a long game of cat and mouse, our spies have been scooping the electric Porsche sports cars for years and weve updated this page to show the latest and earliest prototypes so you can chart the programmes progress. Earlier prototypes (below) carried more disguise, and even dummy exhaust tips, in a bid to put photographers off the scent. Note the simple folding soft-top is retained.
The rear of the new Boxster EV looks to continue Stuttgarts move towards full-width LED lights at the rear. Its a tight package with space for just two seats, leaving the Porsche 911 as the marques classic 2+2 sports model. Hierarchy is all in the Teutonic logic of the Porsche brand ladder.
The battery-powered newcomers will be built at Zuffenhausen and Porsche is spending around 200 million to update the factory in preparation for its electric switchover; the company expects to offer legacy combustion models alongside the EVs during a transition period.
Range, battery size and charging specs
Its too early to call the exact EV specs expected from the Porsche 718 replacement, but we know it will package the batteries in a mid-mounted position, not dissimilar to the classical mid-engined sports car format. Why? Because cells cannot be arranged in a skateboard position along the floor, as it would prevent the driver from sitting low to the ground in time-honoured fashion.
The electric 718 twins will use a centrally mounted flap above the rear registration mount to house its Type 2 charging plug, making it easier to use chargers on the left or right-hand side.
A high-speed DC charger port is also visible in our sandy spyshot above. It is not yet known what charging rate the electric Porsche sports cars will offer, but we expect this EV to stick with a smaller capacity to keep a lid on weight so rapid charging will be a must.
Spy photos inside the electric roadster
Our man with the long lens has already stolen a good look inside the 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster EV and its a significant upgrade on what went before.
Its significantly more digital than the current car, with large, all-electronic screens and read-outs. Although unfinished, its clear to see the new Boxster will use a sophisticated dual-screen set-up like the Taycan.
The battery stats are just about visible, with the prototype model 50% charged with a range of 125km (78 miles) left.
Of course, there are lots of variables at this stage of development and especially in testing sub-zero Arctic conditions, so wed put that range at the worst-case scenario end of the scale. Expect a claimed range nearer 300 miles in production on the official WLTP cycle.
Porsche engineers are busy putting its 2025 sports car through its paces in harsh winter conditions, as they grapple with low temperatures affecting battery performance, durability in cold climes and handling prowess in all weathers.
Its just part of an extensive test programme, which has seen the next Boxster put through its paces across the globe. Our spies have already captured the sports car on test at the Nurburgring in Germany, where prototypes have been spotted with wheels in the air.
CEO Oliver Blume announced that the electric sports cars will be revealed by the middle of the decade at the brands 2023 annual press conference. He also confirmed that the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman twins will run in parallel to petrol versions.
We havent yet seen a tin-top Cayman, suggesting that Porsche will launch the roadster first exactly mirroring the staggered launch cadence of the original coupe two decades ago.
New 2025 electric Porsche Boxster and Cayman: what to expect
Strip away the camouflage and the direction of travel is clear to see.
Our artists have already depicted what the fixed-head electric Cayman could look like (see earlier rendering, below), based on the new EV architecture, which is likely to offer a mix of rear- or all-wheel drive depending on whether buyers choose a single or dual-motor option.
CARs sources suggest that twin-motor electric Boxsters will boast up to 400bhp, although Porsche will be keen to keep some clear water between its junior sports cars and its evergreen 911.
The company has already shown the Porsche Mission R concept car to showcase what a compact electric sports car could look like, albeit it in track form. Explaining the mid-engined look, it packaged the batteries behind the two seats ahead of the rear axle in what Porsche calls E-Core to allow for a low-slung seating position rather than a tip-toe stance common on many EVs.
Electric Porsche sports cars: the origins
Weve been following this story for years and its been a long gestation. Back in the early throes of Covid lockdown, CAR magazine spoke to the R&D bosses about the project. Dr Michael Steiner said in March 2020: We are running several electrified Boxsters to gain expertise and knowledge to see how an electric car performs as a two-door.
The acoustic sound doesnt really play that huge a role with a GT like the Taycan and adding weight is okay, he added. But the additional weight for a sports car, we are not satisfied with today. This is one of the reasons why our next electric car will be a small SUV not a two-door sports car.
Thats the new 2024 Porsche Macan, the second EV to hail from Porsche.
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Steiner (above) said that improved battery technology was needed before an electric Porsche sports car would be ready for production. If there was a breakthrough in battery technology, something like solid-state batteries this direction would trigger a two-door sports car fully electrified. But I do not see in the first half of this decade a good chance of a breakthrough in battery technology, he told us during the Covid lockdowns.
We will see step-by-step incremental benefit with lithium-ion batteries. We predict a 2-3% improvement year-by-year in lithium-ion battery improvement. I am still not happy with the weight, though.
The companys battery progress has improved considerably since then, however meaning that the battery sports cars will be shown next year.
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What will happen to todays Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman?
The current, mostly four-cylinder, 718 twins will have to soldier on until mid-decade in their current forms. Expect special editions and tweaks to keep the Boxster and Cayman selling until the advent of their electric successors.
Porsche and Rimac: how future sports cars will be developed
Porsches investment in Rimac is a big deal for its future electrified cars and one of the reasons that the battery tech and motor know-how has advanced to pave the way for an electric Boxster and Cayman to launch.
While the start-up has had little to do with the Taycan, the first project to come from Stuttgarts Croatian venture will be the electric Macan, then further development with the smaller sports car project.
Will the 911 also go electric?
Porsche execs understand that the time may come for a fully-electric 911, but they dont want to go messing with a 60-year old icon just yet. Expect hybridisation options first, as the job of pioneering a fully electric Porsche sports car will fall to the 718 successor.
Lutz Meschke, deputy chairman of Porsche AG, said: In the sports car segment we have to think about the pure electric car. With the 911 it will be a bit difficult, but for the 718 I think it could be a very good step for the future, on a completely new platform we can then discuss to share with other brands.
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