With the Cayman GT4 RS, Porsche finally put a 911 GT3 engine into its baby sports car. Will the Boxster receive the same treatment? The answer would have to be a definite maybe. Drive.com.au had a chat with the company's man in charge of GT cars. Andreas Preuninger said it's technically possible, but a decision has yet to be taken: "I could image something like that. I think it's manageable and feasible and interesting, but it's not confirmed."
His sentiments were echoed by the VP of the 718 and 911 portfolios. Also speaking with Drive, Frank-Steffen Walliser said: "Technically speaking, this is possible. If we do it, I don't know. The question is where to position it." He went on to mention that if green-lighted, a 718 Boxster Spyder RS would not be a track-focused car since it has a folding roof. He labelled it as a "wonderful extension" of the RS lineup and that he would "love" to see it happen.
Gallery: Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder
On a related note, the Mission R concept was a sneak preview of an all-electric 718, but that doesn't mean the ICE will be dropped overnight. Walliser told the same Australian publication they "still have ideas, we are not running out of ideas [for high-performance versions of the current Boxster and Cayman range]."
The Cayman and Boxster will exclusively switch to EV power sooner than the 911 as the larger sports car will keep its combustion engine for at least another decade. Walliser said weight and packaging remain the "enemy" and only after these issues will be ironed out, an all-electric 911 could happen one day. Meanwhile, Porsche is keeping its options open by working on synthetic fuel in a bid to save the ICE.
The firm's electric portfolio will grow in 2023 to include the next-generation Macan crossover. It will be sold alongside the petrol-fuelled model for a few years before the latter will be dropped entirely.
The Spyder could bite harder:
Source: Drive.com.au