Porsche electric Boxster prototype spotted at Singapore’s IMM mall
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Similar prototype cars have been spotted in Europe and the United States.
PHOTO: KENNETH TAN/PORSCHE CAYMAN S 987.2 FACEBOOK GROUP
SINGAPORE – A left-hand-drive electric sports car with German registration plates was spotted in Singapore recently.
Photos of the car plugged into an electric vehicle (EV) charger at the IMM mall in Jurong East began circulating on social media on Sept 23. There were no brand logos on the car, but stickers on the body read “Porsche Research & Development”.
In response to The Straits Times, a Porsche Asia Pacific spokesman confirmed that the vehicle was a prototype of its upcoming electric Boxster 718 sports car that was being tested in Singapore.
Porsche’s regional office received the car two weeks ago, and it left Singapore on Sept 25, according to the spokesman.
Similar test cars have been spotted in California, as well as in Europe, in recent months.
Mahaendra Gofar, an automotive industry insider who has worked at various car companies in Germany and China, said although it is common for carmakers to test their pre-production cars overseas, Singapore is not a typical testing region.
Gofar said this car was likely used to test internal components like the battery pack and motor to understand how they perform in the tropical climate. It may also have been used to train Porsche Asia Pacific staff.
Subject to approval by the Land Transport Authority, foreign-registered, left-hand-drive cars can be driven in Singapore for a limited time.
The electric sports car was previously scheduled to be launched in 2025, but this was delayed.
The initial plan was to have the Boxster and its coupe sibling, the Cayman, be available only as EVs, ending the model’s history of being powered by horizontally opposed engines.
The car manufacturer changed its course in 2025, announcing that the new sports car, in its most performance-focused forms, will instead be powered by combustion engines. The change reflected the premium sports car market, where buyers have been less eager to switch from combustion engines than other segments.
While the final design of the electric Boxster has not been revealed, the prototype has a silhouette that is similar to the current-generation, petrol-powered Boxster, with a relatively long deck behind the cabin. Details such as the slim rectangular headlights and wheels that seem to be designed for cutting aerodynamic drag are consistent with Porsche’s existing EV models, such as the Cayenne sport utility vehicle and the Taycan four-door saloon.
In August, US automotive news site Road & Track said Porsche’s chief executive, Michael Leiters, confirmed that the electric car in convertible Boxster and hard-top Cayman forms remain in development, although no launch dates were given.
Various automotive outlets are expecting Porsche to give more details about the car, including the likely launch date, at the carmaker’s Capital Markets Day on Oct 7.