Porsche spent years telling us the future was electric, then quietly hit the brakes. After a string of slower-than-hoped EV sales and a development saga around the battery-powered 718, Stuttgart has pivoted hard back toward gasoline, and that pivot reaches all the way up to the legendary Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
- Porsche confirmed in September 2025 that combustion 718s, Cayennes, and Panameras will stay on sale far longer than originally planned.
- The next-generation 718 will reportedly arrive with both EV and combustion variants, with a hybridized flat-six tipped for the top-tier models.
- The K1 three-row SUV has been flipped from EV-only to launching with combustion and plug-in hybrid power instead.
Why Porsche Reversed Course
Porsche’s struggles with its planned EV ramp-up are well-documented. Lower-than-expected demand for the electric Macan, the development headaches surrounding the 718 EV, and cooling interest in performance EVs all pushed the automaker into a major U-turn. In September 2025, Porsche announced that several combustion models would stay in production longer than first planned, while pushing back development of a new EV platform.
The financial sting is real. The platform meant to underpin the electric K1 SUV is being delayed into the 2030s. The SSP Sport platform, developed alongside other VW Group brands and earmarked for the electric Panamera and next-gen Taycan, has also been pushed back. Porsche will absorb a hit of roughly $2.1 billion. Painful for shareholders, but a gift for anyone who still loves a flat-six at full song.
What Happens to the Current GT4 RS
The current car remains a high-water mark. It’s an all-rounder with a 4.0-litre flat-six boxer producing 500 PS, paired with the feeling of never wanting to let off the gas again. U.S.-spec figures land at 493 bhp with a PDK-only setup, 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, a 195 mph top end, and a Nürburgring lap of 7:04.511 on optional Cup 2 R tires.
Porsche’s GT department clearly senses the combustion engine’s mortality and wants to build these cars while it still can. The company isn’t capping production numbers on the GT4 RS, only the window of time it builds them. Translation: order books are finite, even if production isn’t.
The Next-Gen 718 Will Still Burn Fuel
Here’s where it gets fun for purists. According to Autocar, Porsche is working on new combustion 718s, and they won’t be continuations of the current model. The brand is looking to reverse-engineer a combustion engine for the PPE platform. Like the outgoing 718, it would be a mid-engine layout for both Cayman and Boxster variants, and these wouldn’t be limited-volume “top” trims slotting above the EV.
The engineering challenge is steep. Porsche didn’t design the PPE platform with combustion in mind. The architecture has no central tunnel and no provisions for packaging a gas tank, fuel lines, or an exhaust system. The combustion cars will also have to reach dynamic parity with the electric 718.
As for what sits under the rear deck, expect a familiar shape. Porsche plans to revive combustion power for the next 718 lineup using a hybridized flat-six derived from the 911 GTS, marking the end of the four-cylinder. EVs are expected to arrive first, with hybrid halo versions like the Spyder RS and GT4 RS successors landing later in the decade.
The Wider Gas Comeback
The 718 isn’t alone. The Macan, which went all-electric for the new generation, will get a combustion sibling, possibly under a different name, and it will use a front-biased all-wheel-drive system unlike anything Porsche has built before. Porsche also confirmed that the new SUV series above the Cayenne, previously planned to be fully electric, will launch with combustion and plug-in hybrid power instead.
New 911 variants are also in the works, and enthusiasts can rest easy knowing a plug-in hybrid 911 isn’t happening for now. The Cayenne and Panamera, meanwhile, are locked in for V8 power well into the next decade.
What Enthusiasts Should Take Away
If you’ve been agonizing over whether to grab a current 718 GT4 RS or wait, the calculus has shifted. The current car is still the purest expression of the naturally aspirated mid-engine Cayman formula, and a successor wearing the GT4 RS badge looks increasingly likely thanks to the policy shift at Weissach. Whether that follow-up keeps the 9,000-rpm howl or trades some of it for hybrid assistance is the open question, but the fact that we’re having the conversation feels like a win. Porsche listened, the spreadsheet took a hit, and the flat-six lives on.
