The Next Porsche Boxster/Cayman Could Be Six-Cylinder Hybrids

October marks the end of production for the current-generation Boxster and Cayman. What comes after? Well, it’s complicated. Porsche initially announced that the 718 would be available only in electric form, but then it changed its mind. Those EVs are still on the way, but they’ll be joined by combustion-powered versions. Here’s the kicker: the ICE models will be considered the “top” versions, positioned above the purely electric cars.

A new report makes things even murkier. The next-generation Boxster and Cayman with gas power may be electrified as well. Autocar claims the ICE 718s will adopt a hybrid setup pioneered by the latest 911 GTS, not only to limit development costs but also due to packaging constraints. The new 3.6-liter flat-six is slightly shorter than the engines used in non-electrified 911s, making it a better candidate for the smaller sports cars.

At this point, you might wonder whether the four-pot has a future. Apparently, it doesn’t. Porsche is unwilling to tweak the turbocharged 2.0-liter mill to meet Euro 7 regulations. Consequently, the next 718 are likely to be offered exclusively with six cylinders. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since “top” models are hardly expected to rely on small engines.

Because keeping a gas engine in the Boxster and Cayman wasn’t part of the original plan, the flat-six models aren’t arriving anytime soon. Even though production of the outgoing generation is about to end, the direct replacements won’t land until near the end of the decade. When they do eventually arrive, Porsche could market them as continuations of the Boxster Spyder RS and Cayman GT4 RS, given their place at the top of the hierarchy.

Weight will be a concern with the added hardware of the T-Hybrid setup, but it won’t be nearly as significant as in the pure EVs. In the 911 GTS, the 1.9-kWh battery pack that powers the electric motor and single turbo weighs just 60 pounds. Altogether, the GTS tips the scales at only 103 pounds heavier than its non-electrified predecessor. That difference isn’t solely due to the T-Hybrid, though, since the car now comes with more standard equipment. As a result, the weight penalty for Boxster and Cayman hybrids should also be negligible.

In the meantime, Porsche remains determined to launch the electric 718. While details are still scarce, the car is expected to share underpinnings with the production version of Audi’s Concept C. In a recent statement to Motor1, Daniel Schuster, Spokesperson for Technical Development at Audi, confirmed the future sports car will ride on a platform “that will be shared within the [Volkswagen] Group.”

He also ruled out fitting the TT-esque model with a gas engine, leaving that niche to the Boxster and Cayman.