Electric Porsche Cayman and Boxster could spawn next Audi TT

Audi Sport engineering boss Steffen Bamberger has admitted that the all-electric next-generation Porsche Boxster and Cayman could form the basis of an all-new battery-powered Audi sports car.

Revealed in September, the racy Porsche Mission R electric sports car concept is a thinly-veiled preview of the first Cayman and Boxster EVs.

Both ground-breaking battery-electric sports cars are due for release in 2023 and these renders by Bernhard Reichel via AutoEvolution show what they could look like when they reach Aussie showrooms in 2024.

When asked if Audi Sport was considering a sports car based on the new Porsche Boxster or Cayman, Bamberger admitted the new platform being developed by Audi sister company Porsche “could be a good platform for the TT or another new Audi sports car”.

Until now, it was thought the next-generation Boxster/Cayman architecture might remain proprietary to Porsche, but the revelation that Audi could use it to underpin its own battery-powered sports car suggests Volkswagen Group-owned brands Cupra and VW itself could also develop their own compact zero-emission sports cars.

Porsche confirmed back in March that it was considering an all-electric powertrain for the next-generation Boxster roadster and its coupe twin, the Cayman, the current 982 version of which debuted in 2016.

The requirement for a bespoke EV platform, rather than adapting the Taycan's J1 architecture or the more recent PPE platform that will underpin the new pure-electric Porsche Macan, is due to two reasons.

First is the Boxster/Cayman’s traditional mid-engined layout and second is to position occupants very low in the vehicle – something not possible with an architecture that packages batteries in a ‘skateboard’ arrangement.

However, both issues are solved by the electric Mission R concept race car, which packages its battery pack low behind the front seats, and is powered by a two-motor all-wheel drive powertrain that delivers up to 800kW.

Combined with a kerb weight of less than 1500kg, Porsche says that’s enough to propel the Mission R concept to 100km/h in less than 2.5 seconds and on to a 300km/h top speed.

With battery capacity of less than 85kWh, the Mission R boasts a 320kW motor up front and 480kW motor at the rear, generating a constant 500kW in ‘race mode’.

It’s possible entry-level versions of the new Boxster and Cayman could remain rear-wheel drive, meaning the next Audi TT could also switch from front- to rear-drive at base level.

However, top-spec 718 variants and flagship TTRS versions of the new Audi coupe and roadster will almost certainly incorporate the Mission R’s two-motor AWD layout, allowing the latter to leverage its quattro four-wheel drive heritage.

At just 4326mm long, the Mission R is slightly shorter than the current Cayman but noticeably wider at 1990mm, while its external height of 1190mm makes its much lower-slung than the current 718 coupe.