The all-electric Porsche 718 remains on the way—really.No less a reliable source than the German marque's new chief executive, Mark Lieters, has confirmed that battery-powered versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman remain in the works, according to Road & Track. His comments suggest the fifth generation of the beloved sports car will be here sooner than later, too.More from Robb ReportInside a $9.3 Million London Home With Ties to Oscar Wilde and the BeatlesThis New 236-Foot Luxury River Ship Will Launch on the Nile This FallAn Oscar-Nominated Producer Listed His Ocean-View Malibu Home for $13 MillionAdvertisementAdvertisementIntroduced in 1996, the 718 was the Porsche that proved there was an appetite among its deep-pocketed client base for an entry-level, mid-engine sports car. No, it's never been quite as powerful as the iconic 911, but the open-top Boxster and hard-top Cayman are just as fun to drive. We'd even named both GT4 versions of the coupe as two of our favorite performance vehicles of the century.Porsche 982 718 Cayman GT4This stature is why Porsche began testing out a battery-powered 718 earlier the decade, back when it looked like the entire industry was headed toward all electric. A lot has changed since then, which is the main reason why the fate of the 718 EV—at one point looking like it would debut this year—has seemed up in the air. Last fall, months after production of the gas-powered 718 ended, Porsche said the more potent version of the next-gen car would feature internal combustion engines. Then, in February, reports started circulating that the company might pull the plug on an EV version altogether.But Leiters says there's no reason to wonder if the electric 718 will make it to production or not. In an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the executive said Porsche "came to the conclusion that we will build the [EV]—because it is the best solution economically and will be a fantastic car." That's not the only battery-powered model the company remains committed to. Leiters also said the automaker has "no plans to discontinue the Taycan in the short term." This directly contradicts another German newspaper report, this one from Bild, that claimed the brand's first EV could be on the chopping block.The 718 EV may remain in the works, but it's unclear if the same can be said about the high-performance gas versions, which Leiters made no mention of in the interview. Those models were also reported to be at risk, according to Bild. If that part of the paper's article turns out to be true, the 718 really might be going all electric after all.AdvertisementAdvertisementBest of Robb ReportThe 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine BeastThe World's Best Superyacht ShipyardsThe ABCs of Chartering a YachtSign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Click here to read the full article.
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