Why Automakers Are Replacing Sports Cars With EVs (And Why Enthusiasts Are Furious
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There is a sound that is quickly fading away in the world, the sound of naturally-aspirated flat sixes at 8,000rpm, the sound of lumpy American V8s at idle, the sound of a hot hatch whipping up on an on-ramp. One by one, the cars that made those sounds are vanishing from the market and being replaced by something that doesn't sound anything like what they used to. This is not a hypothetical exercise or a slow trickle, this is happening now.
Porsche has already said their 718 Boxster and Cayman will be axed in Europe and replaced with an all-electric future, Toyota killed the GR86, Alpine has plans to retire their darling A110 in mid-2026, and Ferrari - the most iconic carmaker in the world if you believe in the value of a name over substance or sound - will put its first EV on the road by the end of the decade. But
what's the real reason behind this? Environmentalism, regulation, market forces, or some combination thereof? We've assembled an explainer detailing why it's happening, what's really being built to take the place of sportscars, and what it all means to the cars we love.
The Short Version: Automakers aren't ditching sportscars for EVs because they think "EVs are cool", but because a wall of regulation, primarily emissions and safety regulations, is systematically dismantling their ability to produce performance cars at all
Porsche's mid-engined 718 and its derivatives is one of the most prominent examples due to its mix of style, fun, and relative accessibility compared to other Porsches like the 911. But it's not immune to regulation either, as a new wave of EU cybersecurity regulations forced Porsche to retire the Boxster and Cayman lineups earlier than anticipated, with limited exemptions for their track-focused variants.
The Boxster GT4 RS and Spyder will continue to be produced in the coming years, but only at a much-limited capacity. Similar issues are affecting Toyota, whose GR86 was canceled due to General Safety Regulations 2 (GSR2) in the EU, with the Subaru BRZ set to follow its brother's regulations and be killed in both markets shortly thereafter. The Supra is also set to be killed off in Europe. Meanwhile, an Alpine A110 is set to retire after 2026 to make room for an electric successor, but only after massive resistance from the EU due to its production volumes.
The reason why Alpine's A110 and Toyota's GR86/BRZ are continuing to be produced at all thanks to a loophole in the EU's GSR2 regulations is because they fall into what the EU considers "low volume carmakers", so they get a two-year reprieve. But automakers have until 2035 to fully comply with emissions rules in the EU, which are set to ban any tailpipes on the road by that date, with only exceptions for synthgas and hydrogen vehicles, the production costs for which still far exceed anything practical for sportscars today.
Another factor influencing automakers' decisions on what performance cars to produce has to do with cost: the imposition of steep taxes on high-emissions cars by various European countries acts as a disincentive to produce performance vehicles. For example, a Toyota GR Yaris would have cost someone in the Netherlands 89,295 euros before any taxes were added, while the French CO2 emissions tax would have increased the cost of the three-cylinder hot-hatch to well over one hundred thousand euros, pushing it into luxury-car territory and making it less attractive to buyers. These additional costs can make sportscars less accessible to buyers, and thus less desirable to automakers looking to make something that's both performance-oriented and has a realistic shot at selling.
What Automakers Are Building Instead Makes For Interesting Reading
As mentioned, automakers aren't just killing performance cars left and right. Some of them still have performance cars, some of them want to continue to have performance cars, and some of them are now building performance cars with much more ambitious specifications than before.
Porsche isn't just building an all-electric replacement for the 718 - it's building an all-electric replacement for the 911. The upcoming Mission R concept is capable of producing over one thousand horsepower in some configurations. Mercedes-AMG is also set to unveil the first of a new breed of performance cars in the second half of 2026, when the all-electric AMG GT 4-Door Coupe debuts at U.S. dealerships.
The 4-door GT is expected to be priced between $150,000 and $210,000, and is expected to utilize up to three motors to produce as much as 1,153 horsepower and 1,475 pound-feet of torque, accelerating from 0-60mph in two seconds and having a top speed of 186mph, with a limited top speed of 186mph with the 0-60mph run taking two seconds. The concept AMG GT XX has a much more ludicrous set of figures, with 1,341 horsepower on tap, a 223mph top speed, and 850kW average charging power, which would allow the car to add roughly 250 miles of range to the car in just 5 minutes. Lotus is also building a lighter, purer sportscar for the future. Set to debut as the Type 135, it will utilize a new Lightweight EV Architecture and is set to debut as an electric two-seater with a 66.4kWh battery and a rear motor producing 470 horsepower.
And then there are the smaller players, some of whom didn't previously make internal combustion vehicles and could utilize their experience with EVs right out the gate. Croatia's Rimac builds the Nevera, a $2.4 million hypercar with a 1,914 horsepower power output and 1,740 pound-feet of torque, while Italy's Pininfarina builds the $2.2 million Battista, a hypercar producing roughly 1,900 horsepower and capable of faster acceleration than a Formula One car.
Do Electric Cars Make For Good Sports Cars?
And now we're getting to the part where the question is divisive. Can EVs really work as sports cars, or will they always be second-best, unable to match the driving excitement of their fuel-burning ancestors? The arguments for each are compelling in their own way.
The arguments in favor of EVs as sports cars mostly deal with power. A Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0-60mph in under 2 seconds and boasts a 200mph top speed, figures previously unseen in production cars outside of the budget-busting million-dollar supercars. One of the product managers at an EV company told us in an interview a few years back that EVs would appeal to traditional performance car nuts because their lower center of gravity would make them better handling cars and their instant torque delivery would make for better acceleration, and that the real-world results when driving one would silence the critics. And while performance is just one factor, it is usually a deciding factor for people looking into buying a car that can do more than just get them from one place to another.
On the other hand, it's very difficult to ignore the arguments against EVs. They are generally heavier than their internal combustion counterparts, and weight is something that automotive engineers and performance enthusiasts alike consider to be malpractice for a sportscar to possess. Even legendary designers such as Colin Chapman (founder of Lotus) and Adrian Newey (renowned aerodynamicist) have voiced their disdain for the heaviness associated with power, particularly when it comes to track-focused cars. And while not a problem for everyone, the inability for EVs to produce the sounds associated with high-revving engines is also a drawback.
One motoring journalist described the experience of driving a Porsche Taycan Turbo as "driving a Cadillac Escalade that's just fast enough to keep up with your expectations", because of how much effort had to be made just to get the thing to turn where the driver wanted. And while there are some synthetic alternatives available to recreate the "sound" of an internal combustion engine, they pale in comparison to the real thing.
The driving experience of an EV is further diminished by their limitations on the track. While they may be able to turn a few quick laps in the right conditions, their inability to perform in hot weather or during long races is a disadvantage to internal combustion vehicles. While battery technology will almost certainly advance in the coming years, current batteries are not conducive to racing conditions.
Motorsports Are Having Similar Debates About Electrification
Performance cars are not limited to road-going automobiles, and one of the biggest names in motorsports - Formula One - is also considering whether they should continue their switch away from internal combustion towards electricity. While Formula One cars currently use a 1.6-liter V6 engine paired to an electric motor, the series has received negative feedback about this formula from fans, and Formula One president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has acknowledged that the organization would consider returning to V8 engines, potentially as soon as 2030. Part of the rationale deals with emissions, but another part of it deals with the value to fans and the sport itself, the latter of which is difficult to argue with considering the importance of racing to the sport's existence. NASCAR is considering the opposite direction from Formula One and is working on an electric race car prototype with ABB with the intention of creating an electric series for their lower divisions, potentially starting in 2024. This particular EV would utilize a 756 volt system and would produce 1,341 horsepower on a 78kWh battery.
Is This Really Hurting Car Culture?
It might, if you ask some people. Many people have written in to the company about how the sportscar of the future is becoming inaccessible to the everyday enthusiast due to cost and availability, and that there is an emotional connection that's being lost that can't be replicated by a computer-synthesized engine sound. One analyst summed up the feelings of car companies succinctly when he said, "Anyone can make a lot of noise about an EV and sell a limited production to collectors. Starting to replace your business model with pure EV sports cars - that's the challenge. Automakers don't want to move faster than the market."
However, others have noted that the culture and mystique of the automobile are more resilient than many credit. In many ways, the current situation around EVs is reminiscent of the transition from manual to automatic transmissions, or from carburetors to fuel injection. Many people believed that the popularity of performance cars would end with the popularity of manual transmissions, but that has not happened as popularity of performance cars has continued climbing. The same can be said about fuel injection and turbocharging - in many ways, the same transition we're seeing with EVs is already happening again. Many longtime enthusiasts who modify cars have already modified electric cars, and believe that the culture will continue as long as people are willing to continue to do it, regardless of what powerplant is involved.
The Longer Version: Automakers Aren't Changing Sportscars For EVs Because They Want To, But Because They Have To
Automakers aren't changing sportscars for EVs because they want to, but because they have to. A confluence of factors has made it very difficult for automakers to continue their legacy of small-batch, high-performance cars without a major pivot toward electrification, and the largest factor is regulation. Both emissions and safety regulations have placed a wall in front of automakers, making it either illegal or incredibly expensive to continue development of sportcars with internal combustion engines. And while some automakers have a longer runway thanks to loopholes, most of the major car companies are operating under the assumption that sportscars will be a thing of the past after 2035 at the latest, due to emissions regulations in the EU. This doesn't mean that sportscars are dead, or even that sportscars as we know them are dead. What it means is that sportscars are being replaced, one by one, with alternatives that offer much greater performance potential but also pose unique challenges to drivers used to sportscars of the past. The question of whether those alternatives truly satisfy the desire for sportscars is a matter of opinion, but one thing is clear - the desire itself is not going anywhere anytime soon.
FAQs
1 Why are automakers really switching sports cars to EVs?
Primarily due to a combination of regulations, primarily emissions regulations, and the threat of steep taxes on high-emission vehicles. Additionally, while not the primary reason, some automakers are considering the performance gains offered by EVs.
2 ...Is Porsche discontinuing the 911 and going fully electric?
No, not entirely. While Porsche announced that their 718 Boxster and Cayman will go fully electric, the 911 is still set to retain its internal combustion engine. Porsche gas models are already banned in Europe due to new cybersecurity regulations, but gas Boxsters and Caymans aren't gone globally thanks to their much-limited production volumes. Additionally, Porsche is continuing to research and develop other avenues of sportscars besides the 718 Boxster and Cayman and 911.
3...Can electric sports cars really perform better than gas ones?
It really depends on what you mean by "perform". In a straight line, often yes, thanks to instantaneous torque delivery offered by most electric powertrains. On a track, not necessarily, due to the weight involved and the limitations imposed on battery thermal management.
4...Is Ferrari making an electric car?
Yes, they are making one that will hopefully not be canceled before its debut, as Ferrari has confirmed road testing of its battery-powered EV and built production facilities for the car and its battery packs, with the first EV set to arrive in late 2026.
5...Will Formula 1 go back to gas engines?
Not entirely, but they are considering switching to V8 engines for some of the classes, potentially as soon as 2030, as per the suggestions of the FIA president.Are gas-powered sports cars going to
6...disappear completely?
Not right away, but the window for their existence is quickly closing, as a combination of factors is pushing automakers to adopt alternative powertrains in the next decade or so. Many performance carmakers are considering phasing out internal combustion engines in the next 20-30 years, with some suggesting that sportscars as we know them may well be gone by 2035.
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