The next-generation Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster models will be all-electric but they will still be ‘mid-engined.’
Porsche recently unveiled the 1,073 hp electric Mission R at the Munich Motor Show. Although it’s billed as a concept, Porsche design chief Michael Mauer did admit that “the car is packed to the gills with signs that hint of a future production model”, which could be the upcoming 718 Cayman/Boxster replacement.
The eventual production cars will look less extreme than the electric race car concept and, according to Autocar, will adopt an ‘e-core’ layout designed to mimic the mid-engined configuration of the current 718 models.
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This unique layout will see the 718’s battery pack positioned behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle, precisely where the combustion engine of the current models sit. By positioning the battery there rather than in the floor like most other EVs, Porsche will be able to make the rest of the bodywork very low to reduce drag. In addition, the seating position will be much lower than most EVs.
“With a typical two-door sports car, you see the car is really low because to reduce drag you want the silhouette as low and flat as possible,” explained Porsche technical chief Michael Steiner. “To do that you should have the driver sitting as low as possible, and if you do that there is no space for a battery below the seat of the driver… Packaging-wise and center of gravity-wise, it’s more or less a copy of a mid-engine design.”
Porsche said that the Mission R Concept is a functional vehicle that was tested at its internal track before even having a body
The platform underpinning the new Cayman and Boxster will be unrelated to existing ICE and EV platforms currently produced by the carmaker, said chief executive Oliver Blume. It is also possible that the ‘e-core’ layout of the next-generation 718 will be used in the future for high performance models from Lamborghini and Audi, Steiner added.
