‘They Made It Really, Really Good’

Hyundai has certainly come a long way in the past few decades, if even mighty Porsche speaks highly of the Seoul-based automaker. From an enthusiast’s perspective, the Ioniq 5 N is arguably the most interesting electric car to come out of South Korea. Zuffenhausen has taken notice of the high-performance EV by benchmarking the first N model without a combustion engine.

In a candid interview with Australian magazine Drive, a higher-up at Porsche praised the Ioniq 5 N. Frank Moser, vice president of the 718 and 911 model lines, admitted that driving the spicy Hyundai EV was an “eye-opening” experience, adding that the engineers “made it really, really good.” He also particularly enjoyed the artificial engine sounds and simulated gear changes, known in Hyundai marketing jargon as N Active Sound+ and N e-shift.

Moser revealed during the interview that Porsche will take inspiration from the Ioniq 5 N’s features for the electric 718 models: “This is the way.” However, he emphasized that drivers should have the freedom to decide whether they want these gizmos on or off. If enabled, they’ll hear a simulated flat-six soundtrack and feel virtual gear changes.

Moser recalls having to convince Andreas Preuninger, Project Manager GT Vehicles, to join one of the test drives. The man in charge of Porsche’s track-focused cars initially refused: “‘Leave me alone, I don’t want any of that electric stuff.'” He was eventually persuaded to ride shotgun in the Ioniq 5 N and came away impressed by its N Grin Boost mode: “Wow.”

Activated by a red button on the steering wheel, N Grin Boost unlocks the full potential of the dual motors. It lasts only 10 seconds but bumps combined output to 641 hp and 568 lb-ft, good for a 0-60 mph sprint in 3.2 seconds. However, it works only when there’s at least 30 percent battery charge. Once used, a 10-second cooldown is required before hitting the NGB button again.

Porsche remains committed to launching the 718 EV, but the gas-less Boxster and Cayman won’t arrive before early 2027. Initially intended to be purely electric, the next-generation models will now keep combustion engines, but only for the “top” versions.

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Predictably, Moser said the purely electric Boxster/Cayman will be “a little bit heavier” than the outgoing 718, which Porsche stopped making last month. He wouldn’t give an exact figure or even a ballpark estimate, but promised it would be a “really lightweight car” for an EV. As some of you will recall, the Cayman-based Mission R weighed around 3,306 pounds and carried an 82.0-kilowatt-hour battery.

However, the Mission R was a stripped-down race car concept, so the future road-going model might not match it. If you’d prefer the lightest next-gen 718 possible, it’s wise to start saving for the “top” versions with combustion engines. The future ICE Boxster and Cayman are allegedly keeping the flat-six, likely paired with the T-Hybrid setup from the 911 GTS. Consequently, even the gas models are expected to weigh more than the recently retired 982 generation.