It’s been a long and fun ride, but it’s truly time to say goodbye now. After nearly a decade in production, Porsche Cars North America’s head of Product Communications, Frank Wiesmann has now confirmed that the beloved mid-engined 718 Boxster and Cayman will soon cease production ahead of the introduction of the fully-electric next-gen model, Motor1 reports.
He added that the cars have now entered the final months of production, and that the last units are scheduled to be built in October.
Not that it is much of a surprise to many, though. We’ve known for a while now that the current-generation Porsche 718 will soon be replaced by a new model. In fact, both the Porsche Boxster and Cayman have already been slowly phased out in many markets, including across the European Union since last year, due to tightening regulations – although special edition models such as the Boxster RS Spyder and the Cayman GT4 RS are still sold thanks to regulation exemptions for limited production run models.
As we’ve reported last year, Porsche will be replacing the 982-generation models of the Cayman and Boxster with EV equivalents. During the recent annual general meeting, Porsche Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Blume said that the EV sports car will arrive in the “mid-term” and that it will be “even more dynamic, even more powerful, with a pure driving experience.”
Porsche appears committed to making the successor to their most affordable sports car, the 718, fully electric – unlike other offerings from the brand such as the Cayenne and the iconic 911, which continue to come with combustion engines.
Even the first-generation Porsche Macan is still being sold alongside the all-new fully electric version – at least until 2026. That does not seem to be the case here, as the current 718 are being discontinued way before the next-gen Porsche Boxster and Cayman would be introduced.
That being said, Porsche does not seem to be too convinced at an all-electric future just yet. In the same speech, Blume admitted that their original goals of having EVs contribute to 80% of annual sales by 2030 is no longer possible. Certain new models such as the fully electric Porsche Cayenne – due sometime this year – will still have their petrol-powered counterpart for company too.
Porsche was even reported to have considered putting combustion engines into their EV offerings, with Chief Financial Officer, Lutz Meschke, saying, “We are currently looking at the possibility of the originally planned all-electric vehicles having a hybrid drive or a combustion engine.”
Messy is probably an understatement for what’s happening within Porsche’s boardrooms in Stuttgart. Could we be seeing an all-new petrol-powered Cayman too in the future? Well, the brand’s poor EV sales in China might just force their hands.
ALSO READ: EV Porsche Cayenne set to debut this year, but ICE model is here to stay too
