by Although enthusiasts do not seem to have much interest in fully electric Porsche Cayman and Boxster models, the company’s boss has confirmed that work on both models is continuing and they will not be canceled, as was previously reported.
Former McLaren CEO Michael Leiters joined Porsche earlier this year, replacing Volkswagen chairman Oliver Blume. Under Blume, Porsche invested too much in electric cars, which cost the company €1.8 billion in operating profit. Now Leiters’ task is to get the German brand back on the right track.
Decision on the electric 718
During an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine, Leiters seemed to acknowledge that the electric 718s were under threat, but the company decided to continue the project.
“With the electric 718, we came to the conclusion that we will build this model — because it is the best economic solution, and it will become a fantastic car,” he said.
Leiters also emphasized that Porsche evaluates projects based on their own commercial appeal before considering synergies with the Volkswagen Group.
Shared technologies with Audi
The publication claims that Porsche is keeping the electric 718 because Audi needs to borrow components for its own next-generation sports car, which will become the electric successor to the TT. Leiters responded to this:
“I initially look at each project exclusively from Porsche’s point of view: does it make economic sense? Only then does potential synergy within the group play a role.”
Although Porsche will still launch the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman, their role in the model lineup will not be as important as originally planned. When Porsche began work on electric sports cars, it planned to sell them exclusively with electric powertrains. However, during the development stage, Porsche announced that the flagship versions would continue to be offered with internal combustion engines, likely with the same naturally aspirated six-cylinder units as in the Cayman GT4, GT4 RS, and 718 Spyder RS.
Soon after, Porsche revealed that it had also redesigned the new 718 family to offer internal combustion engines in the lower-tier versions as well. If these models are competitively priced, it is hard to imagine them not outselling the electric cars.
Flagship plans and the future of the Taycan
Leiters also hinted that Porsche is still considering a flagship sports car positioned above the 911. He mentioned it as one of several future opportunities for the U.S. market, rather than a confirmed program, and did not go into detail.
Separately, he dismissed speculation that the Taycan could be removed from the lineup as part of a complexity reduction, stating that Porsche has no plans to take it out of production in the near future.
“We have already started doing this. With the Taycan, we will further reduce the number of models and thus lower complexity. We have no plans to discontinue the Taycan in the short term. We have invested a lot in this model and want to monitor how demand develops,” he said.
So Porsche is trying to find a balance between its electric vehicle strategy and market demands. Despite pressure from environmental regulations, the brand remains committed to traditional engines, especially in models aimed at enthusiasts. Replacing Oliver Blume with Michael Leiters will most likely accelerate the correction of the strategy, since significant investments in electric cars did not deliver the expected financial results. How this will affect buyers’ final choices will become clear once the production versions of the new 718 arrive.
