Earlier this year, Porsche was forced to retire the 718 Boxster and Cayman in Europe due to new cybersecurity regulations. The Macan with gasoline engines suffered the same fate. However, the sports car duo and the crossover are still available to purchase outside of the EU. Even so, the writing is on the wall for these models equipped with combustion engines.
Porsche's production manager Albrecht Reimold told Automobilwoche the Boxster and Cayman will go out of production by the middle of next year. Porsche is pressing ahead with the all-electric replacement, which he has already driven, and promises it'll be a "real fun car." No further details were released, but judging by spy shots, the convertible is likely to come out first.
Another Porsche with gas engines facing the chopping block is the previous-generation Macan. While the all-new EV successor is already out, the old sporty crossover is still sold outside of Europe. Reimold says that by the middle of 2026, the company will be "fully committed" to the electric successor. Limited availability of parts is accelerating the ICE model's demise.
Increasingly stricter regulations in Europe are also another nail in the Macan's coffin. Reimold mentioned it wouldn't be financially feasible to invest in a 10-year-old car, even though it's one of the best-selling products: "Volume alone is not a benchmark for us as a luxury manufacturer."
Judging by 2023 sales, the impending demise of these three cars is likely to have a huge impact on deliveries. The 718 lineup grew last year by 13 percent to 20,518 units while demand for the Macan remained at the previous year's level, with 87,355 vehicles. The smaller of the two Porsche SUVs was almost the top seller, trailing behind the Cayenne by fewer than 200 units.
The electric Macan has more chances of luring in buyers who would've opted for a gasoline engine. It remains to be seen how enthusiasts will feel about not having an engine behind the seats of a Boxster/Cayman. We won't be too surprised if the outgoing 718 will benefit from a sales surge while the gas engines are still offered. That said, the models are gone from Europe, so Porsche can only dream of reaching the sales performance of 2023.
