All-electric Porsche Boxster comes back from the dead as it's snapped at the Nürburgring

Rumours of the demise of Porsche’s electric 718 sports car program appear to be wildly off the mark, with a Boxster prototype spotted undergoing hard testing at Germany’s Nürburgring as the company prepares the next generation of its smallest sports cars.

The battery-powered Boxster was caught circulating the famous circuit with its brakes glowing red, providing fresh evidence that Porsche has not abandoned the project despite reports suggesting it was under threat.

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Development of the new 718 Boxster and Cayman has stretched over several years. Porsche initially intended the new generation to be exclusively electric, but changed course in 2025 when it confirmed that its most performance-focused products would retain combustion engines.

That means future successors to models such as the Cayman GT4, Boxster Spyder and GT4 RS are expected to continue using petrol power, while electric versions will sit below them in the range.

There had been speculation new Porsche CEO Michael Leiters could scrap the electric 718 program as the sports car maker grapples with high development costs and softer demand for premium EVs. The project has also faced delays, including disruption caused by high-performance battery supplier Northvolt filing for bankruptcy.

However, this prototype suggests the electric 718 is approaching production, with its styling clearly derived from Porsche’s existing EVs. The Boxster test car features slim rectangular headlights and a sharply sculpted nose, while aerodynamic alloy wheels should help reduce drag and improve brake cooling.

At the rear is a narrow full-width light bar, active spoiler and a substantial diffuser. The apparent air intakes on the prototype’s rear haunches are believed to be camouflage rather than functional openings.

The biggest changes are underneath. Instead of positioning its battery beneath the cabin, as most EVs do, Porsche is developing a stacked battery pack mounted behind the occupants. The layout is intended to replicate the weight distribution and low seating position of a traditional mid-engined sports car while keeping overall weight under control. 

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Porsche has previously said the 718’s battery will be smaller than the packs used in the Taycan and Macan Electric but will offer high energy density. An approximately 82kWh battery, similar in capacity to that used by Porsche’s Mission R concept, is a possibility. Porsche is targeting more than 480km of official driving range, while an 800-volt electrical architecture should provide rapid DC charging.

Durability is another priority, with Porsche expecting its EV batteries to remain serviceable for around 15 years and as much as 300,000km. Single- and dual-motor versions of the electric 718 are expected, and even the entry model should improve on the outgoing petrol car’s approximately 4.5-second 0-100km/h performance, although production versions are unlikely to approach the extraordinary 800kW output demonstrated by the Cayman GT4 ePerformance prototype.

Porsche could reveal more about the electric Boxster and Cayman at its Capital Markets Day on 7 October, potentially providing the clearest indication yet of when the long-delayed sports cars will finally reach showrooms.