Porsche has officially ended 18 months of speculation at today's 2026 Capital Markets Day: the gas-powered 718 Boxster and Cayman are not coming back. The updated "Sportwagenschmiede '35" corporate roadmap lists the next 718 generation strictly as a battery-electric lineup.
Over the past year and a half, rumors that Porsche might keep combustion power alive in its entry-level sports cars came in waves. Per AutoGuide, Matthias Rauter, Porsche's Head of Corporate Communications, told Motor1 the internal-combustion version was never a sure thing — even though former CEO Oliver Blume had shown a related slide on an investor call last September, the project was never greenlit by the board.
Now it's official: the roadmap's next 718 generation lists battery power only, with no room for a gas variant. 2028 will be the first full production year for the electric Boxster and Cayman, which means the new car must be revealed next year — finally ending a soap opera running since 2022.
The current fourth-generation 718 (code-named 982) has been in production since 2016. 2024 was its last full production year, with 23,670 units delivered worldwide, up 15%. Europe stopped selling four-cylinder versions early due to UN cybersecurity regulations — re-engineering the aging platform cost too much to justify — while limited-run GT4 RS and Spyder RS models were exempt.
CarBuzz reports the gas Boxster and Cayman ran 29 years across four generations. The US market held out longer, only stopping order-taking in September 2025, but production ends once current orders are fulfilled.
The electric successors remain in development. Hagerty's camo-free spy shots from last month show the next Boxster borrowing rectangular headlights from the Macan EV and Taycan, with no exhaust cut-outs at the rear — all but confirming electric power, though the proportions remain remarkably Boxster-like.
The timeline keeps slipping: a battery supplier's bankruptcy contributed to delays, and with EV demand softening, Porsche's boardroom is wary of launching a car nobody wants to buy. PASMAG notes Porsche only promises the EVs in the "medium term," declining to name a date.
For enthusiasts, the sting is in the driving feel. The Boxster and Cayman built their reputations on balance, agility, and feedback — many drivers honestly prefer them to 911s. Swapping the engine for a heavy battery pack and motors will completely alter the physical dynamics of the car.
The end of the gas 718 marks Porsche's entry-level sports cars leaving the combustion era for good. Whether the legend continues depends on the 2028 EV winning over the old guard.