[UPDATE] Statement from Porsche 718 spokesperson Oliver Hilger added below:
"In the European Union and some states that apply EU legislation, the combustion-powered 718 models will not be available indefinitely. The main reason for this is the General Safety Regulation of the European Union (including cybersecurity), to which the platform will not be converted. Any models that do not meet these requirements will no longer be eligible for new registration in the EU after the beginning of July 2024. This applies not only to 718 models with an internal combustion engine, but to all models from all manufacturers, and this regardless of whether it is an e-vehicle or one with an internal combustion engine. As a result, sale of the 718 models with an internal combustion engine is discontinued in the EU and some states that apply EU legislation from now on, thereby ensuring that the vehicles can be delivered to customers and registered by the deadline. In regions where the relevant EU legislation is not applied, the 718 models with an internal combustion engine can remain available for longer.
Implementation of the directive not only requires adjustments to the technical implementation, for example in the control units, but essentially also a change to processes in the development phase. For example, management systems will have to be developed and certified with regard to cybersecurity. The management and documentation of cybersecurity risks are tracked, structured, and formalized over the life cycle of the vehicle. All this could not be taken into account in the development of the 718 combustion models, as none of the requirements were known or applicable at the time. It is not possible to do this ‘in reverse’ without further ado.
The processes now required by UN ECE R 155 could not be implemented because they were not yet known and applicable back when the 718 platform was developed. But that doesn't mean that older vehicles are not, per se, secure. When it comes to current models, we regularly check the cybersecurity of our products and work together with the global security community using a publicly accessible interface."
Pour one out for the Porsche 718—the entry-level sports cars are officially no more in the European Union. As with the gasoline Macan, Porsche is retiring the Boxster and Cayman ahead of schedule because the two cars won't meet the new cybersecurity regulations.
Europe's new cybersecurity laws come into effect July 2024, at which point, Porsche will no longer be allowed to register the cars in the EU. But the two models will live on in other markets for the time being.
In an e-mail to Motor1, Porsche 718 spokesperson Oliver Hilger confirmed the coupe and convertible have been discontinued in the EU. But there are some exceptions. The Cayman GT4 RS and Boxster RS Spyder models are exempt from the rule given their limited production.
The issue stems from the electrical architecture used by the Boxster and Cayman, which don't meet the forthcoming regulations. Tweaking the cars to meet the new law would cost Porsche about half the budget used for an all-new model, which isn't financially viable.
The fourth-generation Boxster/Cayman is an old product relatively, debuting in 2016 under the "982" internal codename. The first-gen Macan is even older considering it's been on the market since 2014. The 718's retirement from the EU is unlikely to put a big dent in Porsche's sales, but the Macan has always been a strong seller. Globally, the crossover racked up 87,355 sales in 2023, or more than four times compared to the 718 lineup.
The next-generation 718 will be purely electric when it goes on sale in 2025. The EV's arrival won't spell the end of the current gas models since the two will peacefully coexist for an unspecified amount of time. Porsche has a similar strategy in place for the two generations of the Macan.
Although the 718 is no longer available to configure in EU markets, you can still buy a brand-new Boxster or Cayman by picking from whatever's available in stock. The clock is ticking because that will no longer be possible from July 1 when unsold cars will become unregistrable.
