Beyond The Camo: Here's What The 983 Porsche Boxster EV Spy Shots Reveal

The Porsche Mission R Concept Is A Showcase Of Future EV-Tech

As in the past, Porsche has always found ways to adopt technology from their race cars to make their road cars better. The all-electric Mission R Concept is a fully functioning GT Racing car which they use as a no-imagination-limit test bed for next-gen technologies. Weight is one of the most important considerations when designing a sports car. This is especially challenging for EVs owing to the weight of the battery pack. The Taycan for example, while being a stellar EV, has always been criticized for its weight. The entry-level Taycan Sedan weighs 4,769 pounds, which is demanding compared to the ICE model Porsche Boxster 718’s 3,148 pounds.

This is where the Porsche Mission R’s technology comes in, which has a curb weight of around 3,306 pounds. The Mission R concept can hit a top speed of 186 MPH and attain 0-60 MPH in less than 2.5 seconds. This is partly thanks to its 1,088 horsepower dual motor powertrain and partly due to Porsche’s weight-reduction innovations. Now that sort of power with the Boxster/Cayman platform seems like overkill and Mat Watson from CarWow thinks that the upcoming electric sports car will only use one of the Mission R’s electric motors, on the rear axle, making similar power to the current gas-powered models.

The Mission R has several weight-reduction features developed by Porsche, that will likely make it to the upcoming Boxster and Cayman. When not restricted by things like budgets, the Porsche R and D team pulls out all the stops:

• The "E-Core" layout places the battery pack slightly higher, behind the driver’s position. When compared to the traditional EV "Skateboard" layout wherein the battery pack is placed under the floor, the E-core layout ensures better weight distribution, and a more focused, lowered driving position. This should ideally make the Mission R handle similar to a mid-engined ICE sports car.

• Smaller brakes reduce weight further, which does not mean reduced stopping power, thanks to regenerative braking.

• Body panels made up of composite natural fibers reinforced plastic (NFRP), which is cheaper than carbon fiber and just as light.

• A 3-D printed metal gearbox, which reduces weight compared to casting.

Porsche’s Next EV Will Feature Technology Inspired From The Mission R

With all these cool innovations from the Mission, R, we can safely speculate that Porsche is working on how to use them to make the Boxster EV lighter and more engaging to drive. The challenge will be to do this cost-effectively since the Boxster is the starter Porsche for most people. Hopefully in essence it will remain a relatively nimble, fun-to-drive two-seater sports car. We got a glimpse of the Boxster EV thanks to CarSpy Media’s covert photographers. In the video above, listen closely and you’ll even be able to pick up on the EV hum from the electric motor. Design-wise, the Boxster EV seems to retain the front headlight design from Porsche’s current EV line-up, while the rear light is also similarly a narrow light bar. You also don’t have the side air-intakes found on the gas-powered model.

From the spy shots, we can ascertain the Boxster EV, which retains its folding soft top. We also have spy shots from a couple of months ago when YouTuber zemljokrug spotted the prototype being tested on the German autobahn. We do not have concrete images of how the Cayman EV’s final design, however, we do have a rendering of it. We can take cues from the scary-fast Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformace, which debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2022. In many ways, the ePerformance is the spiritual successor to the Mission R concept.

Porsche is moving forward with the expansion of its electric line-up with the launch of some exciting products. By 2030, Porsche plans to have 80% of their line-up as EVs, with the iconic 911 being the sole survivor from the gasoline era. Porsche isn’t just about electric cars for your driveway. They’re reimagining urban mobility with a slew of eco-friendly products like eBikes, electric scooters, and even self-driving mini-shuttles. Germany’s electric revolution is in full swing, and Porsche is strategically investing in where the future of transportation is headed, but you can’t forget that Porsche is also working on Synthetic E-Fuels to reach its sustainability goals.