Porsche’s EV wind back may have claimed a new pair of scalps, with a bombshell report suggesting the upcoming electric 718 sports cars could be cancelled.
A report by Bloomberg – citing insider sources within Porsche – claims new CEO Michael Leiters is considering scrapping the 718 Cayman and Boxster EVs, due to continued delays and rising costs.
Porsche declined to comment on the report, however it follows months of speculation about the future of the Cayman and Boxster, after the sports car twins were discontinued with petrol power in 2025.
Last year Porsche said the new 718 models would be expanded to offer “top ICE (internal combustion engine) derivatives”, suggesting the flagship RS versions of each would be the only versions to get a petrol engine.
In December, a report by Autocar claimed senior sources had said Porsche would reverse-engineer the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) Sport architecture the EV 718 will be based on to accept a petrol engine.
According to Autocar’s sources, this extends beyond the aforementioned range-topping petrol-powered 718s, with engines expected to be more widely available across the lineup.
That move is in contrast to what is expected of the Macan, which too went electric-only on the PPE architecture, only for low demand to lead to Porsche announcing it will launch a new similarly sized SUV with petrol and hybrid power by no later than 2028.
In the case of the Macan, the petrol-powered version is anticipated to move to the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture that underpins the Audi Q5, making the two models twins under the skin once more.
According to the most recent Bloomberg report, Porsche has deliberated making the new 718 a plug-in hybrid, however this too would require different underpinnings which would increase development costs and blow out its timeline.
While it’s almost certain petrol power will return to the Cayman and Boxster, Porsche reportedly has requirements for the ICE version, such as being able to “achieve dynamic parity” with the EV.
This may be difficult given the 718 EVs use a load-bearing battery pack which forms an integral part of the chassis, something that can’t be replicated with a petrol engine. Autocar’s sources previous said this will result in a “redesigned rear bulkhead and subframe”.
Questions over what engine could power the new petrol sports cars remain, given the 4.0-litre flat-six found in a majority of the outgoing 718 lineup isn’t currently compatible with upcoming Euro 7 regulations.
It had previously been reported by Autocar that Porsche would shoehorn the all-new 3.6-litre flat-six engine and T-Hybrid powertrain from the rear-engined 992.2 911 into the mid-engined 718, though this too presents engineering limitations.
Porsche’s recent EV U-turns have so far been reported to have cost its parent company the Volkswagen Group €5.1 billion ($9.1 billion).
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