Petrol Porsche 718 Boxster, Cayman to live on alongside electric successor
The current petrol-powered 718 will continue to be sold alongside the new-generation electric model, due in showrooms in 2025.
Both electric and petrol versions of the 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman will be sold alongside each other, according to the company's top engineer.
According to US magazine Road and Track, head of research and development at Porsche, Dr Michael Steiner, told media the current 718 Boxster and Cayman will continue to be sold alongside the new-generation model – which the company has confirmed will be electric.
Speaking to a roundtable at Porsche's Rennsport Reunion VII event at Laguna Seca last week, Dr Steiner said the current petrol-powered 718 – known as the 982 generation – will be sold for as long as regulations allow in each market.
According to the report, the 982-era 718 Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe twins can't accommodate new UN cybersecurity regulations, which require strict cybersecurity protocols as well as over-the-air (OTA) software download capabilities.
The June 2020 regulations will come into effect in Europe, Japan, and South Korea in July 2024 – marking the end of the 982 Boxster and Cayman in those markets.
Dr Steiner said the 982 will continue in other markets without those regulations, suggesting Australian buyers may have the choice between petrol or electric in the coming years.
The battery-powered 983-generation 718 Boxster and Cayman will reportedly have a driving range in excess of 400 kilometres, with a kerb weight of approximately 1655kg.
It's a similar strategy being implemented with the Macan SUV, with Porsche introducing an electric model on an entirely different platform which will be sold alongside the the current version.
However, the electric 718 Boxster and Caymans will employ a parts-sharing system – like the current model – allowing it to be built alongside the petrol-powered 911 sports car at the company's Zuffenhausen factory.
Porsche has previously said it's aiming for electric vehicles to account for more than 80 per cent of its global sales by 2030.