Managing temperature extremes is a big challenge for EV engineers, especially the ones building sports cars like this new 2025 Porsche Boxster.
The 983-code Boxster and Cayman are ditching their combustion drivetrains and going fully electric for the second part of this decade. But building a battery-powered sports car is more complicated than making an electric SUV.
Most obviously, there’s less space to pack the electric hardware, and the added weight of that equipment is more likely to spoil the handling and braking. The Boxster will have its battery pack located behind the seats, rather than below them, to mimic the layout of a traditional mid-engined car, and enable Porsche to retain a low roofline and seat position.
But the Boxster is the kind of car that has to be able to handle daily duties in all weathers and still cut it on a track day, and that means dealing with extreme temperatures. Lapping a circuit generates a ton of battery heat that can impair performance, but driving in freezing temperatures can also have a huge effect, specifically on the electric range. That performance is probably one of the things Porsche is testing on its Boxster prototype in northern Sweden close to the Arctic Circle, as well as the operation of other electrical systems.
Related: Porsche CEO Confirms New Hypercar Is Coming After 2025
Porsche is expected to launch the new Boxster and Cayman in 2024 as 2025 model-year cars. That’s still some way off, which is why this car wears some reasonably heavy disguise on the nose, tail, and along the sides, potentially obscuring styling cues lifted from the 1,073 hp (1,088 PS) Mission R Concept. It also has a fake center-mount exhaust tailpipe that won’t appear on the finished car.
Like the Mission R, high-spec Boxster and Caymans will get a dual-motor setup that will bring all-wheel drive to the sports cars for the first time, though don’t expect the power outputs to be as nutty as the Mission R’s. More affordable versions will get a single rear-mounted motor and rear-wheel drive, but we’re not sure if Porsche will offer multiple battery sizes or how far the new Boxster will go on a charge. What do you think is an acceptable range for an electric sports car?
