Porsche 718 is no longer on sale. The little internet influencers will have to find new rides.
To be honest, Brother Neck often dreams of buying a Porsche 718.
There's no other reason. The base model of this car only costs 650,000 yuan. It might be the only Porsche sports car I'll ever have a chance to afford in my life.
But now, this dream is about to shatter.
Not long ago, Porsche's head, Albrecht Reimold, revealed in an interview with the German automotive magazine Automobilwoche that the fuel - powered version of the 718 will stop production in October 2025.
Let's count on our fingers. Isn't it just a few days away? Although the 718s that have already received orders will continue to be delivered, it'll be difficult to place a new order after that.
According to external sources, the future 718 will become an electric vehicle, just like the Taycan.
This is a bit of a letdown.
Well, let me clarify first. Brother Neck definitely doesn't have any prejudice against electric vehicles. There are just too many choices for electric vehicles in China. There's no need to insist on buying a Porsche, right?
But if you look around among small sports cars, at this price range, the one with mid - engine rear - wheel drive + flat - opposed engine might only be the Porsche 718.
If it didn't stop production, maybe one day when Brother Neck gets rich, he'd definitely buy one.
Actually, the online reviews of the 718 have always been quite strange. As a mid - engine rear - wheel drive sports car that's more of a sports car than the entry - level 911, what people focus on are only the logo and the appearance.
On the one hand, as an entry - level Porsche sports car, with a meager 250 - horsepower engine and a 2.0T four - cylinder engine with MacPherson suspension that has no "keyboard appeal", it's not worth it for the rich to buy, and it's not cost - effective for the poor.
After all, at this price range, if you don't buy a sports car, you can choose from any of the BBA models, and which one isn't better than the 718? And if you really have money and like Porsche sports cars, you'd definitely go for the 911.
Come on, be honest. Did you buy this just to show off the Porsche logo?
On the other hand, just like people associate buying a Cadillac with going to a bathhouse and buying a BYD with being a taxi driver, those who buy the 718 are mostly micro - business owners or internet influencers...
This label isn't entirely made up.
Because the price of a second - hand 718 is even lower than that of a brand - new NIO or Li Auto. It only costs about a thousand yuan to rent one for a couple of days, which an ordinary person can afford. However, with its low - slung shape and an appearance similar to the 911, even an old man on the street would think it costs at least a million yuan.
This high cost - effectiveness has deeply attracted a group of internet influencers and micro - business owners who want to show off their wealth and gain popularity in the past.
In addition, because of its round and low - slung sports car shape, it's also popular among many young ladies, so it's always been labeled as a "girly sports car".
In short, a hardcore sports car that focuses on driving has been defined as a showy but useless car. This might be something Porsche has never understood.
If we talk about which sports car in China has been the most badly criticized, it must be the 718.
But I'm sure you all know that the charm of the 718 goes far beyond its appearance.
With its mid - engine rear - wheel drive layout, flat - opposed engine structure, and the legendary PDK transmission, the 718 is a genuine Porsche sports car, even more pure than the 911.
Originally, the name 718 came from the 718 RSK, which was a real racing car. It appeared around the time between the two legendary models, the 550 and the 911.
Moreover, it participated in well - known racetracks such as the Nürburgring, Le Mans, and Goodwood and achieved good results.
The feature of this car lies in its delicate control of weight. For example, the mid - engine layout mentioned earlier can balance the front and rear weight distribution and improve handling. The flat - opposed engine is not only small and lightweight but also cancels out noise and vibration.
At the same time, through the lightweight tubular space frame structure, the total mass of the 718 RSK was only 530 kg.
Simply put, its horsepower might not be very high, but it can easily handle sharp turns.
Although the current 718 isn't the original 718 RSK, it comes from two new cars. One is the convertible sports car Boxster (originally named 986) launched by Porsche in 1996, and the other is the hard - top sports car Cayman, which was modified from the Boxster in 2005.
However, they both inherited the design of the 718 back then. For example, the name Boxster comes from Boxer (flat - opposed) + Roadster (convertible two - seater).
Of course, their appearance is not only to commemorate the 718, but also to help Porsche get out of the sales dilemma.
In 1992, due to the global economic recession and the multi - model competition among the 911, 944, 968, 928, etc., Porsche's losses reached up to 240 million German marks (about 1 billion RMB).
In order to make money, Porsche had to reduce prices for promotion. Thus, the Porsche 718, positioned as the youthful version of the 911, was born.
Compared with the 911, the 718 has a smaller size, fewer configurations, and the engine was reduced from a six - cylinder to a four - cylinder, saving a lot of production costs. At the same time, by sharing parts with the 911, the R & D and warehousing costs were also reduced. Eventually, the price of the 718 is only half that of the 911.
Many people want to buy a 911 but can't afford it. Then they can consider the 718.
So, the first - generation Boxster helped Porsche turn losses into profits with a global production of 164,874 units.
Since the car is fine and the sales are good, why is the 718 being discontinued now?
Actually, I can say that the 718 has already been discontinued.
In July last year, the European Union officially implemented a new Cybersecurity Regulation (UN R155), requiring car manufacturers to establish a complete "cybersecurity management system" to prevent hacker attacks and data leaks.
Although the original intention is good, it's a bit of a joke for an old - fashioned fuel - powered car like the 718.
Its electronic and electrical architecture doesn't support this "cybersecurity management system" at all. And developing a new one would cost almost half of developing a new car. It's better to just discontinue it and focus on pure - electric vehicles.
So at this time, the 718 models are no longer sold in the European Union.
As for why this discontinuation has been extended globally, there's no official statement yet. Brother Neck guesses that it's to allocate resources to the upcoming all - electric 718.
This car has secretly made its debut at the Nürburgring. Judging from the appearance, it seems to have inherited the style of the Taycan. What do you guys think?
According to the currently revealed information, the all - electric 718 might adopt the PPE architecture, with a new electronic and electrical architecture and 800V high - voltage.
Just like the previous all - electric Macan, Cayenne, and the recently unveiled Audi Concept C, it's almost a complete overhaul.
However, we can't say that Porsche is shooting itself in the foot. Even Xiaomi, which has only been around for 3 years, can challenge Porsche at the Nürburgring. If you don't change, you'll just eat up your reserves.
After all, the engines and transmissions that you've painstakingly developed in the past only have emotional value in the face of powerful electric motors.
If you can't completely defeat the emerging brands on the racetrack in the future, the advantages that Porsche has accumulated in the past will disappear.
By then, the 718 will really become a showy but useless car.
In short, electrification is an irresistible trend. Even Porsche, which stands at the peak of fuel - powered cars, is no exception.
Image and data sources
motor1 | Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Discontinued
UN R155 (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No. 155) Vehicle Cybersecurity Management System
This article is from the WeChat official account "Chaping X.PIN", author: TC, editor: Brother Neck Right - Twisted & Mianxian. Republished by 36Kr with permission.