Last November, Porsche revealed several never before seen concept vehicles including a street-legal version of the 919 Hybrid and the Le Mans Living Legend: a Porsche 718 Boxster-based design study created in 2016.

Although it somewhat bears a resemblance to the 911 Speedster, especially from the side profile, it featured scissor-style doors and a retractable rear engine cover. A particularly cool retro touch are those round headlights - a direct nod to the classic 550 Coupe, though the taillights had a more modern look thanks to the full-width LED light strip. It made sense to believe the concept was never going to happen but plans might have recently changed.

The Taycan EV Forum has discovered patent images that Porsche filed with the EUIPO showing a new model that bears a very strong resemblance to that concept. Only this time, it sports gullwing doors. The split rear glass window, round headlights, and a dual exhaust system are also present. There are a few other design changes, most noticeably the series of exposed slit vents directly behind the doors. Originally, there was a panel covering them.

The patent's filing is dated this month, so isn't something that's been sitting around undiscovered for a while. But why would Porsche file this patent, which doesn't expire until February 2026, right now?

Because the current generation 718 Boxster and Cayman, internally referred to as 982, were launched back in 2016. This may not seem too long ago, but the pair's 981-generation predecessor had only a five-year production life. The 982 generation's countdown clock may have already started.

It's been rumored that the next-generation of the mid-engined duo will adopt a pure battery-electric powertrain, so it's certainly possible Porsche is planning some special edition models as part of a grand send-off. The car you see here could be one of them. If a production version is indeed planned, it's highly likely to be ultra-limited and quite expensive.