Two of Porsche’s most revered sports cars are about to change forever.
It has been rumoured for several years the Porsche Boxster and Cayman are set to ditch petrol power and go all electric, and according to new reports that move is imminent.
British publication Auto Express reports that Porsche chief Oliver Blume will make a decision on the future of the models in the next few months. All electric power is the most likely option.
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“There is an opportunity that we will do the 718 electric but we are still in a concept period, where we haven’t decided yet. To go electric now we need future battery evolution,” said Blume.
“We will wait a couple of months more before we decide which concept we will use. But I think there is a positive potential to do this, and when we do the 718 electric it should be driven like a 911 and all the other sports cars.”
He also confirmed there will be a next generation of each sports car no matter the power source, with the first examples due in 2023.
Blume said the brand’s future was definitely 100 per cent electric, but they needed to have a mix of petrol, hybrid and electric cars in the near future.
Porsche recently launched its first electric vehicle in New Zealand, the Taycan.
The electric four-door has the same blistering performance and scalpel-sharp steering expected of a Porsche sports car.
Porsche says it enlisted the help of former Aussie F1 driver — and current Porsche test pilot — Mark Webber to develop the driving experience.
Audi, which is also owned by Porsche’s parent company Volkswagen, has committed to making no new internal combustion engines.
It will instead put all its financial and developmental resources into improving its electric set-ups.
Audi CEO Marcus Duesmann told German publication Automobilwoche that the company would instead alter existing engines to meet any new emissions guidelines.
He also said the soon to be enacted Euro 7 emissions regulations would make it extremely difficult to develop new internal combustion engines.
Audi has recently been forced to delay several new versions of its vehicles such as the RS3 performance sedan and hatch because they didn’t meet the requirements of new real-world fuel use tests.
- News.com.au