--- title: "Porsche’s Emergency Pivot to Gas-Powered 718 Is an Engineering Headache" description: "[Porsche]() has plenty of questions to answer surrounding the future of the 718 Boxster and Cayman. After the company retired the last generation, the entry-level sports cars were set to make a [comeback in all-electric form](). Then, Porsche walked back…" date: "2025-12-15" modified: "2025-12-15" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/porsches-emergency-pivot-to-gas-powered-718-is-an-engineering-headache" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Porsche News" tags: - "718 Boxster" - "718 Cayman" - "Convertible" - "Coupe" - "porsche" - "sports car" --- # Porsche’s Emergency Pivot to Gas-Powered 718 Is an Engineering Headache ![Porsche 718 Boxster 25 Years]() *\Porsche\* [Porsche]() has plenty of questions to answer surrounding the future of the 718 Boxster and Cayman. After the company retired the last generation, the entry-level sports cars were set to make a [comeback in all-electric form](). Then, Porsche walked back that commitment, leading to reports that it was going to revive the 718 as [a continuation of the prior 982 series](). But the electric 718 is still happening, and down the road, Porsche is reportedly planning to retrofit an internal combustion powertrain into the PPE architecture that was only ever intended to support EVs. This insight into the automaker's purported plans comes courtesy of Autocar, which reported "one of the most radical drivetrain reversals in Porsche's history" on Sunday. The publication cites "senior sources" at Weissach, who told it that while the previous 718 will return, that is poised only to be a stopgap while the EVs join the range. After the 982-derived cars complete their victory lap, a mid-engine variant of the PPE-powered 718 will be introduced. It doesn't sound like an easy task. Porsche engineers will have to clear space for a four- or six-cylinder mill in a vehicle designed around a load-bearing battery pack, electric motors, and no transmission tunnel. Sure, the gas variant will be lighter, but it won't be able to replicate the EV's low center of gravity. ![Porsche 718 Boxster 25 Years]() *The interior of the Porsche 718 Boxster 25 Years special edition from a few years back. Silver with a burgundy interior is the right choice for a Boxster every time. *Porsche** *Autocar's* sources report that Porsche intends to correct these incompatibilities and deficits with a new structural floor, rear bulkhead, and rear subframe. It at least seems that one aspect of reviving the gas 718 has gotten easier for Porsche: emissions. Recall that the automaker didn't see much of a future for its tried-and-true, naturally aspirated, 4.0-liter flat-six with Euro 7 regulations and an ICE ban creeping into view. Now that those proposals have been watered down or scrapped entirely, that engine can live again. Provided Porsche makes the necessary adjustments for the [cybersecurity law]() that prematurely killed off the 982 series in its home market, there's now a path back for these sports cars. Cool, but I'd wager the company would've preferred having a plan years ago and sticking with it. The ever-shifting nature of global auto regulations through the first half of this decade has made that an impossibility, though. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com*[]()[]()[]()[]()[]()[]()[]() ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()