WHAT a turnaround for Porsche. Instead of electricity, future Porsche entry-level models will probably be powered by gasoline, with the help of additional cylinders and even electricity. But let’s start in order.
Production of the current generation of the Porsche Boxster and Cayman will end by the end of the month. But what comes after that? If you’ve been following the news, you know that the situation is very complicated. Initially, the new 718 was planned to be available exclusively as an electric car, but Porsche recently drastically changed its model strategy to align with current trends.
Electric models are still in the pipeline, but the company now plans to offer internal combustion engine variants. Interestingly, it is these petrol versions that will take the “top” position, above the fully electric versions.
New reports further complicate the situation. According to Autocar magazine , the next-generation Boxster and Cayman with gasoline engines could also be electrified. The internal combustion engine models will reportedly use a hybrid system similar to the one in the current 911 GTS. The reasons for this are both development costs and limited space.
The new 3.6-liter boxer engine is slightly shorter than the engines installed in non-electrified versions of the 911, making it a better choice for smaller sports cars.
Six cylinders instead of four
The question is what will happen to the four-cylinder engine that was installed in the previous generation of these sports models. Porsche does not seem ready to change the 2.0-liter turbo engine to meet the Euro 7 norm, so future 718 models will most likely be available exclusively with six cylinders. This is not surprising, since in the “top” versions a four-cylinder would be difficult to accept.
Later arrival of petrol versions
Since gasoline engines in the Boxster and Caymen weren’t part of the original plan, their boxer-engined versions won’t be arriving anytime soon. While production of the current generation is coming to an end soon, direct successors are likely to hit the market only towards the end of the decade. When they do appear, Porsche could present them as successors to the Boxster Spyder RS and Cayman GT4 RS, as they will occupy the very top of the range.
T-Hybrid and vehicle weight
The additional hybrid technology shouldn’t pose a major weight problem, especially compared to the fully electric versions. In the 911 GTS, the hybrid system with a 1.9 kWh battery adds only around 60 kilograms to the vehicle’s weight.
The arrival of the electric 718
Fully electric 718 models are expected on the market in 2026 or 2027 at the latest. Although details are not yet known, it is assumed that it will share the basis with the production version of the Audi Concept C model.
In a recent statement to Motor1, Daniel Schuster, spokesman for technical development at Audi, confirmed that the future sports model will use a platform that will be shared within the Volkswagen Group.
Schuster also ruled out the possibility that Audi will offer a TT-like model with a gasoline engine. That niche will likely remain reserved for the Porsche Boxster and Cayman.
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