Production of electric replacements for the Porsche 718 series – better known as the Cayman coupe and Boxster convertible – could be delayed, according to reports from German insiders.
Automobilwoche reports Porsche’s plans for the upcoming ‘983’ generation are “well behind schedule”, due to complex issues impacting the battery.
According to the publication, Porsche wants the battery to be in the middle of the vehicle – similar to the mid-engine placement in current models – however this is reportedly causing headaches, leading to the carmaker requesting adjustments from battery-maker Valmet Automotive.
The battery supplier has reportedly “incurred significant additional costs due to the delay”, which the outlet says Porsche isn’t willing to cover in full or at all.
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These delays could mean the electric 718 arrives in showrooms globally well after production of the current petrol-powered 982-generation model wraps up and stock runs out.
Final examples of the current 718 models are due to roll down the line between June and September 2025.
Australian production of the petrol-powered 718 has already concluded, with the final examples being built in September 2024.
Porsche Australia says it has limited stock of the petrol-powered Boxster and Cayman across its dealer network.
Globally, Porsche hasn’t set a due date for the electric 718, and the delays in Europe could mean we’ll have to wait until 2026 or even 2027 to see it on local roads.
Boxster 
Cayman
In Australia, the Boxster and Cayman nameplates have combined for 704 deliveries between January and November 2024, making the 718 less popular than the more expensive 911 (755 deliveries), but more popular than the electric Taycan (266 deliveries) and petrol Panamera (56 deliveries).
Both the petrol-powered 718 sports car and the Macan SUV ceased production for Europe and other markets including Australia after falling foul of new European cybersecurity regulations, which made it prohibitively expensive to make the vehicles compliant.
Details about the electric 718 sports car are limited, though in March Björn Förster – who was project manager for the Porsche GT4 e-Performance electric race car prototype – said the upcoming EVs could have simulated engine sounds and gear shifts, akin to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
“You’re talking to a motorsports guy,” Mr Förster said of the ‘gearshifts’ in the electric Ioniq 5 N.
“It doesn’t make you faster, but… imagine a 983 [Cayman or Boxster electric] GT4 – therefore, it’s an emotional car, so this could be an option where, maybe, this car comes out, and it’s just mandatory for sporty electric cars to have a shifting simulator.
“Not because of getting the car faster. No record on any racetrack will be done with manual shifting. It even shows you the revs, which are fake. But if I’m working in motorsport, I would avoid that.”
“One major topic is the sound. The regular road car, the EV, will always have a speaker [under the car] but it’s up to you as a brand if you use this speaker to fulfil [pedestrian protection] measures or if you use it for a sound you can experience.
“As soon as it is an emotional and cool feature, you should have it.
“Hyundai did it in a very good way, I would say. It’s completely fake, but people are loving it. So I think we need to come with something.”
At present, just one electric sports car is sold in Australia, the $115,000 dual-motor MG Cyberster, which produces 375kW of power and 725Nm of torque, and accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 3.2 seconds.
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