New Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Could Get 911’s Flat Six as Porsche Recasts Its EV Plan

Porsche is keeping the fire burning in its mid engine lineup. According to a detailed report from Autocar.co.uk, the brand will extend the life of the combustion 718 Boxster and Cayman with new top versions that are expected to adopt a version of the 911’s flat six. The move is part of a broader strategic realignment that pauses a planned large K1 electric SUV and stretches the internal combustion Cayenne and Panamera well into the 2030s. Porsche says demand for high price, exclusive EVs has cooled, so the company is flexing toward a mix of combustion, plug in hybrid, and battery electric models while it reworks the product plan.

What might power these hotter 718s is the intriguing bit. Autocar says Porsche is looking to bring more parity between 718 and 911 powertrains to simplify sourcing and cost, which would also mark the end of the 718’s 2.0 liter turbo flat four that is not expected to meet Euro 7 rules coming at the end of 2026. Instead, the new top tier 718s are tipped to use the T Hybrid setup introduced in the 911 Carrera GTS. That new flat six is 110 millimeters shorter than the 911’s standard twin turbo engine, a packaging win that fits the mid engine 718 layout. In spirit it revives the original Boxster playbook with a slightly detuned 911 heart in a more accessible chassis, likely carrying forward nameplates like Spyder RS and GT4 RS above the incoming 718 EVs.

There is still a regulatory mountain to climb. The current ICE 718 fell victim to the EU’s GSR2 requirements, and while a small series exemption exists for up to 1,500 non compliant cars a year, Porsche’s volumes would overwhelm that path quickly. The more probable solution is a fully updated safety and compliance package for the combustion 718, which helps explain the push to share more components with the 911 and keep costs in check while meeting the rules.

The ripple effects touch Porsche’s SUV roadmap too. The K1 flagship that was announced in 2022 will now debut with combustion and plug in hybrid power rather than as an EV, and it will be joined by the new M1, a replacement for the canceled ICE Macan that will be twinned with the next Audi Q5. On the electric side, Porsche remains committed where it makes sense. The Cayenne Electric is close on the 800 volt PPE platform, and the Macan Electric and Taycan continue in market. Porsche cautions that all of these moves pressure profitability in the near term, with a net margin guide around 2 percent this year, but it expects to recover to double digits in the medium term as the revised lineup rolls out.

If this plan holds, enthusiasts could see the 718’s greatest hits extended with cleaner, smarter flat six power while the brand keeps a measured hand on electrification. It is a pragmatic blend for a company that built its reputation on engines you feel and soundtracks you remember, even as it engineers the next wave of EVs for the customers who want them.