The time has come. Porsche vowed to rip the controversial flat-four engine out of its 718 range and replace it with electric power for 2025; now it’s making good on its promise. This heavily clad test car has been roaming the streets in complete silence hoping to not get caught by those pesky spy photographers. As you can see, it didn’t work.
Don’t let the centre exit exhaust fool you. It’s a phoney. And one of the few tell-tale signs that this is in fact Stuttgart’s impending EV sports car. That, and the seemingly blocked-off cooling ducts ahead of the rear wheels. Granted, electric cars still need to be cooled, but that looks to be handled by the two GT4-style intakes either side of the front bumper. Here they appear to be closed, comprising of a line of slats that, presumably, open up when extra cooling is needed.
It’s no secret Porsche is on an electric charge (pun intended). The Taycan is one of its best-sellers, it’s dabbled with Formula E and the recent(ish) Mission R concept looked an awful lot like a futuristic version of its entry-level sports car. But the biggest indicator yet was the Cayman GT4 ePerformance that silently cruised up the Goodwood hill climb at this year’s Festival of Speed. The electric Boxster and Cayman is happening, folks, and it’s been unfurling in front of our eyes for some time now.
Porsche has hinted before that some styling elements from the Mission R concept may find their way onto a production car. And while the chunky cladding on this prototype makes it a bit challenging to pick the design apart, the thin rear light strip looks as though it might have come from the Mission R. It sits higher than on the current 718, too, just as it does on the EV concept.
Of course, while we’ll likely see some visual cues taken from the Mission R, it’s unlikely we’ll see similar performance numbers. Both the Mission R and Cayman GT4 ePerformance develop 1,088hp from a pair of electric motors at either end of the vehicle. They’re also based on 900-volt architecture (the Taycan uses 800-volt charging technology), allowing 340kW charging for a five to 80 per cent battery top up in just 15 minutes. Numbers like that on a road car would be astounding – and unfathomable on Porsche’s sports car entry point. What we do know, however, is that it'll be based on an EV-only platform, so another GT4 RS with a screaming flat-six looks out of the question.
Judging by the heavy disguise, it looks like we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands until the production model is released. Besides, the 718’s switch to electric power isn’t due for another two years, so there’s still plenty of time to pick up Boxster or Cayman that have fully functioning exhaust outlets. We suggest you do.
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