Against all odds, Porsche is moving ahead with its electric sports car plans, even as the German automaker reassesses its broader electrification strategy. The 718 EV is scheduled to enter production in 2027, and Zuffenhausen is confident the two-door models can deliver the driving experience the brand is known for. BMW, meanwhile, has not yet announced a direct rival.

Although rumors have circulated that Porsche might cancel the electric Boxster and Cayman, the cars are still very much happening. CEO Michael Leiters wasn’t initially sold on the idea, though. Speaking to the media at the company’s Capital Markets Day this week, he admitted he “was very, very skeptical about this vehicle” upon his arrival as CEO in January. His doubts disappeared, however, after he got behind the wheel for the first time.

Porsche knows that putting batteries into a lightweight sports car involves more than simply replacing an engine with electric motors. The company needs to preserve the balanced handling and engaging driving dynamics that have defined the Boxster and Cayman for decades. While I was digging through investor documentation, I stumbled upon the promise of an “innovative battery concept” designed to give the 718 EVs a “mid-engine character,” even without a flat-six behind the seats.

Porsche Will Put The Battery Where The Gas Engine Used To Be

Porsche achieves this by mounting the battery where the combustion engine used to sit. Automotive News (subscription required) quotes Robert Meier, Porsche’s vice president of vehicle architecture and characteristics, explaining that the battery won’t sit in the floor, as it does in virtually all EVs. Instead, the pack occupies the space traditionally reserved for the engine, with three modules arranged across two levels. The layout delivers a 44.8:55.2 front-to-rear weight distribution. Porsche says its E-Core Architecture also lowers the center of gravity to sharpen handling.

By keeping the battery out of the floor beneath the occupants, Porsche can also lower the Boxster and Cayman’s seating position. The automaker goes as far as to say the next-generation 718 will deliver an “authentic sports car feeling thanks to low seating position.”

Expect the electric 718 to launch next year, with 2028 marking its first full year of production. Plans to bring back the Boxster and Cayman with combustion engines have been scrapped, leaving both models electric-only. Meanwhile, the 911 will continue to fill the combustion-engine role in Porsche’s sports car lineup. CEO Michael Leiters has made that distinction crystal clear, promising that the iconic coupe will never go fully electric.

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Weight Is The Enemy Of Performance

The elephant in the room is weight. Porsche can relocate the battery to preserve the 718’s mid-engine character, but that doesn’t make the weight penalty of going electric magically disappear. It’s unclear how Zuffenhausen plans to keep the Boxster and Cayman light enough to deliver the agility expected of a sports car without resorting to extensive carbon-fiber construction, which would push prices even higher.

A smaller battery could help trim some kilos, but that would come at the expense of range. Porsche will have to strike a delicate balance between weight, driving dynamics, and efficiency, and it remains to be seen how well the engineers can pull it off.

BMW Has No Direct Rival In Sight

While Porsche is committing to electric two-door sports cars below the 911, BMW has not yet confirmed plans for a comparable model. Munich is investing heavily in EVs, including the Neue Klasse platform and a next-generation electric M3, but its announced products don’t directly challenge the 718 Boxster and Cayman.

That’s a notable gap for a company with a long history of building driver-focused coupes and roadsters. BMW’s Neue Klasse electric offensive centers on sedans and SUVs, with an i3 Touring coming in 2027. There’s also an entry-level compact model for Europe, potentially called the i1, expected to broaden the lineup when it arrives in 2028. A dedicated battery-powered sports car, however, remains unconfirmed.

Spy shots of what could be an electric i4 Convertible have offered some hope that BMW might eventually enter the two-door EV segment. However, even if that model reaches production, BMW has yet to indicate plans to make it a direct rival to Porsche’s mid-engine sports cars. An electric i4 Coupe seems like an educated guess, but M Performance and full-fat M versions are likely still a long way off.

BMW could still surprise us, but for now, Porsche is taking the risk on electric sports cars while its Bavarian rival keeps its cards close to its chest.

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com