The sports cars that will go electric in the next few years

From the Alpine A110 to the Porsche Boxster and the BMW M3. Sports cars are moving away from connecting rods and pistons and opting for "electrons".

By: Alberto Carmone

Oct 9, 2023 at 5:09am ET

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It is the dawn of a new era for many sports cars. In the next few years, many historic models will definitively abandon the combustion engine in favour of electric propulsion. A blow to the hearts of purist enthusiasts, but also an inevitable sign of changing times.

What will not change, however, will be the performance and exclusivity that these models will carry with them into their new life. Here, then, are some of the most iconic sports cars destined to become zero-emission.

Alpine A110

Alpine A110 R

The French sports car is set to go electric in a few years' time. In 2026 we should see the battery-powered heir to the current A110, which will be based on a completely new platform. The transalpine carmaker already previewed it in 2022 by presenting the E-Ternité concept equipped with a 238 bhp electric motor, as well as a tuning and performance almost similar to those of the thermal versions.

Audi R8

Audi R8 V10 GT RWD

The super sports car from Ingolstadt is preparing for a new life. When production of the current model ends at the end of 2023, the R8 will enter the electric era. The new generation is scheduled to debut in 2027, and the Audi will be built on a modified version of the SSP platform. This architecture will allow powertrains of up to 1,700 bhp.

A purely theoretical value, although it is highly likely that the next electric R8s will be more powerful than the current 620 bhp 5.2 V10 engine.

BMW M3

BMW M3 CS

The future of the M brand is electric. And, consequently, so is the future of the M3, one of the most iconic models of BMW's sports division. The first electric M3 will arrive in 2027, as announced in recent weeks by Frank Weber, BMW 's director of product development.

The new generation will be built on the Neue Klasse platform, the architecture that will power all electric BMWs from 2025. On paper, the platform can achieve 1,340 bhp delivered through four electric motors. Could this be the power output of the new M3?

Caterham

Caterham Seven 340

Goodbye Seven, hello Project V. This is the name chosen by the British manufacturer to inaugurate its electric future. Unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last July, it is a closed sports car, as opposed to the open-top classics Caterham is used to.

The Project V weighs 1,190 kg and its 272 bhp rear engine is powered by a 55 kWh battery. The 0-60 mph sprint is 4.5 seconds, while the range is 400 kilometres (250 miles), with the ability to recharge up to 150 kW to go from 20 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes. So after a short pit stop, you can get back on the track to push the car to the limit.

Dodge Charger/Challenger

Dodge Charger e Challenger

In the United States, too, the end of an era is approaching. The Dodge Charger and Challenger, two true V8-powered icons, will be replaced by a 100% electric model coming in the next few years. It will be based on the Charger Daytona SRT concept shown in the summer of 2022.

The battery-powered muscle car will have four electric motors and at least 1,000 bhp. A dedicated speaker system is also planned to artificially replicate the sound of the eight-cylinder engine.

Nissan GT-R

Nissan GT-R Nismo Special Edition

There's no official confirmation, but it's highly likely we'll see an electrified GT-R within a decade. At the moment, Nissan is silent, with rumours of a possible plug-in hybrid version or a direct switch to electric.

Either way, the 'Godzilla' is set for a change once and for all after leaving Europe in 2022 due to increasingly stringent regulations on emissions and noise limits for new cars.

Porsche Boxster

Porsche 718 Spyder RS

Expected between the end of 2023 and 2024, the entire Porsche range 718 will go electric. Both the Cayman and Boxster will abandon the combustion engine and adopt battery powertrains only. The electric Boxster has already been spotted several times in recent months in a variety of situations, from testing at the Nurburgring to charging at a Tesla Supercharger.

The Porsche is expected to be offered with either rear or all-wheel drive, with power outputs ranging from 400 bhp to almost 650 bhp, taking full advantage of the potential of the EPP platform on which it will be built.

Volkswagen GTI

Volkswagen Golf GTI

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Volkswagen is not abandoning one of its most iconic brands and is preparing a series of electric sports models for the coming years. As the ID.GTI concept demonstrated, one of the first could be the ID.2, the compact that will be sold in its most basic form from 2025 with prices around €25,000 (£22,000).

The GTIs will always be characterised by more aggressive aesthetics and more attractive performance, although the price list will obviously be more demanding than that of the entry-level electric models.