The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman were to go all-electric in their next generations, but now the automaker has doubled back on that plan, to the delight of many enthusiasts. The question now is how Porsche will make room for ICE and EV 718s simultaneously. It’s expected that they won’t share a platform, and gas engines may be restricted to the model’s most expensive trims. Bringing over the 911’s flat-six hybrid powertrain is even on the table, according to Autocar.
As it stands, the 718’s four-cylinder engine isn’t compliant with new emissions regulations in Europe. However, the T-Hybrid setup, first launched earlier this year in the 911 Carrera GTS, is. In that car, it combines a 3.6-liter flat-six with two electric motors—one inside the turbo, and another inside the transmission. Total system output is a very healthy 532 horsepower, with 449 lb-ft of torque.
That is the powertrain the 718 looks to stash directly behind its two seats, on a platform that is believed to be an evolution of the existing 982 series. The only trouble there is that Porsche was forced to discontinue the Boxster and Cayman in Europe, well before it did in the States, due to a new automotive cybersecurity law. Porsche will have to correct that to put a future ICE 718 on sale. That may have been considered too great an expense when the preceding generation was on its way out, but now it likely represents Porsche’s most cost-effective route for keeping the mid-engine sports car alive.
Plus, such a move would make so much business sense for Porsche; In Autocar’s words, the 911 and 718 “already use the same MMB platform, but this new approach would simplify production and component sourcing while boosting economies of scale.” The obvious problem, though, is what this could mean for the gas-burning 718’s price.
The Carrera GTS starts at $178,250; even if the system is detuned, as you’d imagine, for Porsche’s theoretically more “accessible” sports car, it would still represent the top of its range. And that really does give credence to the possibility that only the most deep-pocketed 718 buyers will enjoy the privilege of internal combustion.