- Footage captured at the Nürburgring shows Porsche is still testing the 718 EV.
- The Cayman prototype had minimal camouflage.
- An electric Boxster is also planned.
The electric 718 could set the record for having the longest development schedule in Porsche history. Prototypes were first seen back in November 2022, at which point the Boxster/Cayman EV had already been in development for a couple of years. In 2026, the production car is still nowhere to be seen, but a new spy video shows the project hasn’t been abandoned.
Porsche was spotted at the Nürburgring pushing a prototype of the Cayman coupe with very little camouflage. It still looks like a mini 911, and that yellow sticker in the top-left corner of the rear glass reveals its electrified nature. The test vehicle flaunted a rear spoiler and appeared to have all the production body panels in place.
However, Zuffenhausen has mastered the art of disguise by using fake panels and body-colored camo, so we’ll withhold judgment until the official reveal. As for timing, Porsche CEO Michael Leiters recently said we’ll learn more about the 718 EV this fall. Speaking during the company’s annual conference earlier this month, he hyped up the electric Boxster/Cayman duo and the team behind it: “great car and people are doing a great job working on that.”
When it does eventually arrive, it’ll compete in a rarified segment. There are barely any two-door electric performance vehicles outside the supercar and hypercar realm. The MG Cyberster will be joined by the next-generation Alpine A110 by the end of this year or in 2027. Audi’s Concept C is coming next year as a sister model to the 718 EV.
In the meantime, the spy video also shows numerous other interesting performance cars undergoing testing at the Green Hell. There’s everything from the BMW M5 to a Toyota GR Yaris, along with the electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe and the new GT Black Series announced just yesterday.
It’s a 13-minute reminder that fun cars are not dead, even as the segment shrinks with more buyers gravitating toward SUVs. While Porsche seems confident there will be enough demand for an electric Boxster and Cayman to justify the development costs, it knows it won’t convince everyone. The solution? Bringing back the gas-fueled 718 later this decade.
Motor1’s Take: Under new management, Porsche is still pressing ahead with the electric 718 project. While there’s still no word on when the cars will go on sale, the spy video is a clear sign the Boxster and Cayman without combustion engines are still happening.
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