The next Porsche Cayman and Boxster will be electric vehicles (EVs).
Porsche last year announced plans to move to a mostly electric lineup (careful to note that the iconic 911 would keep its fire) by 2030. But with the goal eight years out, the Taycan remains its only EV. It’s an impressive one, with 0-60 mph times as low as 2.6 seconds, room for four adults, and three gorgeous body styles, including a Sport Turismo wagon that borders on indecent.
But it’s not the kind of little, lively, fun sports car that made the Porsche name.
The Cayman and Boxster are.
The Models’ History
In case you need a refresher, the Boxster is the car that pretty much saved Porsche. In the mid-1990s, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, limited to selling hyper-expensive cars that won plaudits from critics but few buyers. They gambled on a cheaper sports car with a topless roadster style, the engine in the middle for balance, and a lower starting price. It worked.
In later generations, Porsche added a roof to create a stiffer version, trading wind in the hair for even better handling and called it the Cayman, after a small member of the alligator family (misspelled, probably for trademark reasons, as is common in the auto industry). The most recent Boxster/Cayman pair also carry the moniker 718, a callback to a legendary Porsche race car of the 1950s.
They were for many years the least expensive way to buy mid-engine poise (Chevy later stole that trick for the latest Corvette after decades of threatening to do it). They’re known for superb handling, simple sex appeal, and cheap… well, ok, they’re still cheaper than a 911. Porsche prices will always climb like fighter jets.
Their Electric Future
The next step in their evolution, according to Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, is to go from mid-engine to no engine. Blume expects the all-electric 718s to bow in 2025.
Blume expects EVs to make up 50% of Porsche sales by 2025 and “more than 80%” by 2030. Porsche won’t get there with just the Taycan. That car is an outstanding proof of concept, but it remains a 4-door, 4-seat sedan with prices stretching close to the $200,000 line.
A little sports EV you can toss into corners lightly is essential to the Porsche brand. The company’s engineers will have to work hard on shaving weight to make it work — EVs are heavy. But they keep all of their moving parts on or between the axles, which lends itself naturally to the 718’s character.
We’ll have to get used to not hearing the engine snarl with the top-down in the next Boxster. But, with Porsche’s plan for cars that compose their own music to match your driving style, even that will probably be fun.
