- Porsche confirms electric 718 project remains alive.
- Executive says he has already driven a prototype.
- Launch timing for the new EV sports cars unclear.
Porsche has poured cold water on recent reports suggesting the entire electric 718 Boxster and Cayman project could be scrapped following the arrival of a new chief executive. While there’s still no confirmed timeline for the new models, Porsche says they will arrive first as fully electric vehicles.
It’s no secret that Porsche has faced challenges developing the next-generation Boxster and Cayman, particularly when it comes to capturing the character that defined their predecessors. The company has already scaled back parts of its EV strategy, and new CEO Michael Leiters, formerly of McLaren, was reportedly evaluating whether the project should proceed at all.
Read: Porsche’s New CEO Might Bury The Cayman, Boxster EVs Before They Even Launch
However, Car Sales recently spoke with Daniel Schmollinger, managing director and chief executive of Porsche Cars Australia, who said the project remains on track and revealed that he has already driven a prototype.
SH Proshots
“We can’t tell yet when it’s coming, but I had the chance to drive it, and it is actually amazing,” he said. “So I had the chance to drive it on a race track, and it was just amazing. A Boxster type of car should give you the weight distribution, a very go karty feeling and it provides that. And with the electric engine, of course, it gives you even more dynamic driving.”
Electric And Combustion Models
Initially, Porsche planned to offer the next-generation Boxster and Cayman exclusively with electric powertrains. Later reports suggested that the duo’s top derivatives could also arrive with internal combustion engines. According to more recent claims, combustion engines may even appear in more affordable 718 variants.
Schmollinger’s media training paid off when he was asked to confirm plans for the ICE models, stating that “there’s no official announcement,” but noted “headquarters is basically constantly evaluating where the opportunities are. Every six months they look into what can we do and what do we not want to do, so there is opportunity out there,” he added.
