If the rumors are true, Porsche’s long-running "will-they, won’t-they" flirtation with electric sports cars may be coming to an end. Word on the street is that the 718 Cayman and Boxster EV projects are on the chopping block. If so, that’s a lot of money down the drain. But for diehard Porsche fans, it might actually offer some relief. Building an electric sports car that lives up to Porsche’s famously exacting standards turns out to be far harder than the automaker originally anticipated. Combine that with a projected year-over-year decline in EV sales for 2025, and Porsche is joining many other automakers in shifting its focus. Porsche's Global Sales Slide EVs are still selling, but the market for a true electric sports car is small and niche. Porsche, meanwhile, needs momentum on the sales front. Despite a record year in the US, global sales fell 10 percent compared to 2024. A pricey electric sports car isn't the solution to the company's sales woes. That doesn’t mean Porsche is abandoning EVs altogether, though. In Europe, one in every three Porsches sold in 2025 was electric. Plug-in hybrids and fully electric models remain popular, making up nearly 58 percent of European sales. The 718: Analog Perfection Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Manthey The Porsche 718 is a legendary sports car in its own right. While the 911 often steals the spotlight—and rightly so—it’s the 718 that offers the purest sports-car experience. Anyone who’s spent time behind the wheel of a 718 GTS 4.0 knows just how close to perfection it really is. What makes a car like the 718 special is the way it communicates with the driver. Weight distribution, steering feedback, suspension tuning, and braking performance all work together to create a visceral, analog driving experience. And the keyword here is analog. Modern tech can simulate many aspects of this feel, but true enthusiasts are able to spot digital shortcuts or fake sensations in a heartbeat. If Porsche released an electric 718 and tried to sell it with simulated exhaust notes, fake gear shifts, or other EV gimmicks, fans would likely tear it apart. Good Electric Sports Cars Are Hard to Make 2027 Porsche 718 Cayman EV Rendering Making a good electric sports car isn’t impossible. The low center of gravity and instant torque that EVs offer can make for exhilarating driving. As battery weights drop and performance rises, electric sports cars become more feasible. Steer-by-wire technology might even allow engineers to mimic the feel of classic sports cars. But at the end of the day, the "feel" often has to be programmed in. For those chasing true analog thrills, that’s a problem. A Porsche Cayman EV, no matter how advanced, would struggle to deliver the same magic. Porsche knows this. The company believes it can create a great electric sports car—but doing it right is extraordinarily difficult and increasingly expensive. Meanwhile, the simpler, more cost-effective solution is to refine the existing Cayman and Boxster: tweak the chassis and interior, refresh the styling, and stick with a conventional gas engine—or perhaps a hybrid powertrain, like the GTS setup, as a bridge to a future EV. Making electric SUVs? That’s straightforward. Making an electric sports car worthy of the Porsche crest? That’s another story entirely. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team