After two years of silence, cancellation rumors, and a lineup gap wide enough to drive a Cayenne through, the electric 718 Boxster just showed up in Germany wearing almost nothing. September 2026 spy photos from the Nürburgring show the prototype stripped down to fake taillights painted into a rear wrap and small covers around the headlights — that’s it. Everything else is bare. For a car the internet declared dead twice, it looks remarkably alive. Porsche killed combustion 718 production in 2025, leaving buyers without an entry-level sports car for two years. These photos suggest that gap is nearly closed.
The Road to Here Was Ugly
Battery supply collapsed, rumors declared the program finished, and then a CEO set the record straight.
Porsche originally targeted 2025 for the electric 718’s on-sale date. That didn’t happen. Battery supplier Northvolt’s bankruptcy disrupted cell supply, internal reviews raised cancellation fears, and enthusiast forums filled with eulogies — a dynamic not unlike what happened when Honda cancelled its EV Line Before Production. Then in 2026, CEO Michael Leiters sat down with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and put the speculation to rest. The program survived. What these Nürburgring photos confirm is that it didn’t just survive — it’s nearly done.
Here’s what the prototype reveals:
- No full-body wrap; only headlight covers and a fake tail lamp graphic remain as disguise
- Familiar low-slung 718 silhouette — evolutionary design, not a reinvention — with taillights extending into the bodywork like a modern 911, and no side air intakes
- Both Boxster convertible and Cayman hardtop variants are in active development; this sighting is the clearest look yet at the open-top version
- Platform reportedly built on an 800-volt electrical architecture; single-motor rear-drive and AWD variants are expected — though Porsche has confirmed none of this officially
- Production targeted for 2027; customer deliveries anticipated late 2027; no official on-sale date set
Designed to Reassure, Not Surprise
The Mission R concept pointed toward a radical electric future; the production car lands somewhere more recognizable.
Two years ago, Northvolt’s collapse threw the 718 EV’s future into doubt. Now its prototype is lapping the Nordschleife with barely a sticker to hide behind — reminiscent of the drama around the Nürburgring Record chase that captivated performance-car fans. The 2021 Mission R concept was Porsche signaling intent — a track-focused EV that said the next 718 generation would go fully electric. What’s rolling around the circuit today looks like what happens when that concept meets production reality: same sports car DNA, cleaner flanks, modernized fascias. The absence of side air intakes remains the clearest visual signal that combustion isn’t under the hood.
“With the electric 718, we came to the conclusion that we will build the model because it is the best solution economically and will be a fantastic car.” — Porsche CEO Michael Leiters, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Read that quote carefully. Leiters didn’t say passion drove this decision. He said economics did. Whether pragmatism produces a sports car worth the two-year wait is the question 2027 will answer. A full reveal could land as early as late 2026, according to reporting — though Porsche hasn’t announced a date.
Start Paying Attention Again
No specs, no pricing, no reveal date — but the car exists, and it’s close.
If you shelved 718 plans in 2025 because there was nothing to buy, the calculus has shifted. Porsche has filled a two-year hole with spy photos and a CEO quote. Late 2027 is the target for customer deliveries — and the 718 EV is shaping up to be worth waiting for. Watch the Nürburgring. Watch Stuttgart. The next move is Porsche’s — and it’s coming soon.
