Porsche's Next Sports Car Will Have Batteries Where There Used To Be A Gas Engine

Porsche CEO Michael Leiters has made it abundantly clear that “the 911 will never be electric,” but Zuffenhausen is taking the exact opposite approach with the 718. The Boxster and Cayman will return next year as electric sports cars. They’ve been a long time coming, having been announced more than four years ago. While most details remain under wraps, some juicy tidbits are gradually emerging.

The document prepared for investors touts an “innovative battery concept [that] preserves Porsche mid-engine character” and an “authentic sports car feeling thanks to low seating position.” Mind you, this is more than just marketing fluff. Instead of placing the battery beneath the floor, where it typically sits in an EV, Porsche’s engineers are mounting it behind the seats, in the space the combustion engine occupied in the discontinued gasoline-powered sports cars.

According to Automotive News, the battery pack consists of three modules arranged across two levels. And yes, they’re positioned where the four-cylinder or flat-six engine used to call home. Robert Meier, head of vehicle architecture, revealed that the electric 718 models will have 55.2 percent of their weight over the rear axle. That’s actually closer to the ideal 50:50 weight distribution than in the preceding model.

2027 Porsche 718 Cayman EV rendering by Motor1

Photo by: Motor1

The battery’s placement also improves structural rigidity and makes it part of the vehicle’s crash structure. At the same time, placing the battery behind the seats should let occupants sit lower than they would in an EV with an underfloor pack. Of course, that doesn’t mean the electric 718 will be dynamically identical to its predecessor. Still, Porsche appears determined to avoid turning its compact sports car into just another heavy electric vehicle.

Separately, Top Gear magazine learned from Porsche that the next-generation Boxster and Cayman will inherit the Taycan’s new optional E-Shift system, which simulates gear changes and engine sounds to make acceleration feel more familiar to drivers accustomed to combustion-powered sports cars.

Okay, but how much does it weigh? Porsche hasn’t released an official figure, but Auto Express reports the car could weigh around 1,700 kilograms, or just under 3,750 pounds. For reference, a previous-generation Cayman S weighed 2,988 pounds in US specification.

2027 Porsche 718 Boxster EV rendering by Motor1

Don’t expect a gasoline-powered Boxster or Cayman to join the new generation. Despite earlier indications that Porsche was considering combustion-engine derivatives, the company’s latest product strategy focuses solely on the electric models. Consequently, the battery-powered 718 duo is expected to go on sale without gasoline equivalents, marking a more decisive break with the past than some enthusiasts had hoped for.

The switch to electric power won't necessarily mean a huge jump in size. Porsche wants the next-generation sports cars to retain the compact proportions that have defined the Boxster and Cayman for decades. Still, it faces a difficult balancing act. The company must convince buyers that an electric two-seater can deliver the engagement they expect from a Boxster or Cayman, particularly when the soundtrack and shifting characteristics of a combustion engine are such a big part of the appeal.

Simulated gear changes and artificial engine noises might help bridge that gap, but the cars will ultimately have to prove themselves on the road. For a brand built on its sporting heritage, getting the fundamentals right matters far more than simply delivering impressive acceleration figures.

What do you think?

The big question is whether placing the batteries where the engine used to be preserves enough of the old car’s character to win over skeptics. Porsche appears confident that the unusual layout, familiar proportions, and simulated ICE drama will help. Still, no amount of clever engineering can make an electric motor sound like a flat-six. The inevitable weight penalty will also deter traditionalists who are already running out of options in the combustion-engine segment.

The 718 EV will break cover next year, but 2028 will be the first full year of production. For ICE loyalists with deeper pockets, the 911 will keep its gas engine, and certain versions will even keep the manual gearbox.