The end of the road is in sight for the gas-powered Porsche 718.
The current version of the Boxster roadster and Cayman coupé will be retired next year, according to Motor1.com. The German marque’s other sports car is expected to make way for an all-electric replacement.
Word of the combustion Boxster and Cayman’s discontinuation comes from no less a reliable source than Porsche’s production manager, Albrecht Reimold. He recently told the German newspaper Automobilwoche that both versions of the model, which made its debut in 1996, will cease production by the middle of next year. He also revealed that the gas-powered 718 will be replaced by an EV, which he has already driven, and called a “real fun car.”
Porsche 718 Cayman
Photo: Courtesy of Porsche Cars North America.
The gas-powered 718 isn’t the only long-running Porsche nearing the end of its journey. In the same interview, Reimold revealed that the gas-powered version of the company’s smallest SUV, the Macan, will be discontinued in mid-2026. The marque unveiled an all-electric variant earlier this year, which the company is “fully committed” to, but the combustion Macan’s upcoming demise can also be attributed to a shortage of parts and increasingly strict emission regulations.
Reimold’s comments shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. In addition to tougher emissions regulations in Europe and abroad, Porsche has fully embraced electrification. The Macan Electric is the company’s second EV, while every model in its lineup other than the 718, is now available as an E-Hybrid (even the iconic 911). All three gas-powered models have also already been discontinued in Europe. Over the last year, the company stopped selling all three vehicles on the home continent due to the EU’s new cybersecurity laws.
Porsche Macan
Porsche
Fortunately, the 718 Boxster and Cayman won’t be missing for long. Rumors about the EVs have been swirling since the beginning of the decade. Little is known about the next generation of the roadster and coupé, but they’re expected to debut sometime next year, which matches up quite nicely with the timeline mentioned by Reimold. There’s also been reporting that the EVs will be built on a new electric platform and feature a multi-motor powertrain that can generate as much power as the most potent gas-powered 911. Spy shots of the vehicle being tested have also suggested that the Boxster will be the version that arrives first.
