Next-gen Porsche 718 Cayman previewed with new Mission R concept: Look out Alpine A110 and Toyota Supra! Why Porsche is set to introduce its first electric sports car

Look beneath the wild, flared fenders and huge rear wing, and underneath the surface of the new Porsche Mission R is our first glimpse of the next-generation 718 Cayman - which will be electric.

The German sportscar brand has unveiled its star attraction for this week’s Munich motor show, and while the electric racing car will get motorsport fans excited, the treat for sportscar aficionados is what it means for the future of Porsche’s 911 and 718 lineups.

Mission R was designed and created by Porsche’s motorsport division, but the designers made it clear they had an “intense” collaboration with the design team ultimately responsible for the brand’s production cars. That means this is our best look yet at what we can expect from the new 718 Cayman and Boxster.

Porsche has already hinted that it is considering an electric version of the new 718, and the design of the Mission R suggests that is more likely than ever. That’s because the electric motor for the car is mounted in the middle of the chassis, where an internal combustion engine would go. This suggests that Porsche is preparing to offer both an electric and petrol-powered option for the new 718 range due around 2026, similar to its dual powertrain strategy for the Macan model.

The most likely scenario would be to replace the current 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine in the Cayman/Boxster and Cayman S/Boxster S, leaving the GTS and GT4/Spyder variants powered by the 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six. The latter engine is expected to carry on as Porsche introduces more publicly-available carbon-neutral efuels; which the brand is currently in the process of developing and testing.

Frank-Steffan Walliser, vice-president of 911 and 718 model lines, told Australian media in May 2020 that an electric powertrain was under consideration.

“The next generation of 718 will be on the market in 2026,” Mr Walliser said. “So we have to consider [a new engine]… six cylinders… or something way more different. Electric is one of those options.”

He added at the time that while some markets are against the smaller engined 718 models, its success in newer markets, specifically China make it worthwhile, which suggests that a similar split between electric and petrol powertrains would be sensible for the brand’s medium-term future.

As Mr Walliser explained last year: “We lost volume in traditional markets, but we are number one in the segment in China. Strategy-wise, it justified producing the car, we can continue its story now.

“The target audience is way younger, 30 years old, Chinese, female. Once they are with Porsche, they continue with that,” he said.

He added: “With GTS and GT4 in our more traditional markets, the interest in 718 really comes back.”

In a possibly controversial move, one element of the Mission R that seems likely to make the production version of the next-gen 718 range will be the new headlights and taillights. The last time Porsche tried to alter its headlight shape on the 996-generation 911 and the first-generation Boxster, resulting in the short-lived and much derided ‘fried egg’ lamps.