It’s a time of reckoning for the Volkswagen Group. Whether Audi, Porsche, or Volkswagen itself, the symptoms are rather similar: Growth hasn’t panned out as expected, margins are down, and drastic measures may be needed for the group to survive. Amid all the turmoil, a version of the future Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman is allegedly in trouble, but not the variant people might’ve expected.
German newspaper Bild reports that ten next-generation Volkswagen Group models may be on the chopping block. As translated by Google:
According to BILD information, there is a concrete list of discontinued models: In the Core brand group – which includes VW, Škoda, Cupra and Seat – the successor models of the Raval, Jetta, Taos and Fabia are among those at risk of being discontinued, according to the plans.
Audi and the Progressive brand group are planning to discontinue the Q6 e-tron Sportback and Q5 Sportback.
In the sports and luxury group around Porsche , the Taycan (project code J2), the successor to the combustion engine 718 and the Cayenne Coupé are said to be on the list of candidates for discontinuation.
Some of them make perfect sense. With future Volkswagen Golf production rumored to be returning to Mexico, is the Jetta really necessary? Likewise, the Taos isn’t Volkswagen’s only B-segment crossover. Making something like the T-Roc a global model would fill that niche while reducing development spend. Speaking of redundancy, potentially axing the next-generation Audi Q5 Sportback, Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback, and Porsche Cayenne Coupe models sounds fine, as crossover coupes are rather silly. Oh, and then there’s the matter of the next-generation Taycan. With the posh sedan market continuing to shrink and electrification offering tax and regulatory breaks in certain markets, it wouldn’t be surprising if Porsche considered rolling the next-generation Taycan and Panamera into one car, effectively discontinuing one nameplate.
However, there’s one car on this list that would sting especially hard because it wouldn’t have direct redundancy. No, not the Skoda Fabia, as that’s essentially a Volkswagen Polo or Seat Ibiza with some Czech flair. I’m talking about future combustion-powered variants of the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman.
Over the past half-century, there have only been two model years during which Porsche offered only one model of two-door sports car: 1996 and 2026. The first was due to the gap between the 968 front-engined coupe and the Boxster convertible. The second is because Porsche pulled the plug on the mid-engined 718 Boxster and Cayman after 2025. For more than a quarter of a century, the Boxster offered real Porsche sports car thrills at a far lower price than a 911. Compact, nimble, surprisingly practical and instantly likeable, it let scores of enthusiasts realize their dreams of Porsche ownership. Honestly now, did you spend your youth dreaming about someday owning a Cayenne or a Panamera?
Mind you, the 718 nameplate isn’t dead yet. When it eventually returns after years of delay, it’ll be on an electric roadster and coupe planned long before America and Europe backed down from hardline dreams of an all-electric future. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as easy to sell enthusiasts on an electric sports car as it is to sell luxury car buyers on an electric crossover, and the backlash has been real.
As a Boxster owner, the overwhelming community sentiment towards the electric model hasn’t exactly been that of excitement. Think a quarter-cup of cautious optimism whisked together with a cup of disappointment. It’s sure to be monstrously quick and offer serious grip, but even simulated paddle shifts just aren’t the same as dipping the clutch and selecting a gear. What’s more, batteries are generally fairly heavy. Sticking close to the weight of the outgoing models would likely sacrifice range, while offering big range would likely sacrifice lightness. Oh, and let’s not forget that the electric Macan launched at a base price five figures greater than that of its combustion-powered counterpart. The entry level of any genre is price-sensitive to a degree.
However, for ballers and shot-callers who like their Porsches with the engine in the middle, a ray of hope emerged last autumn during an investor presentation. A slide giving a brief overview of future models appeared, and it said “Addition” followed by “Top ICE derivatives for next 718.” It seemed that Porsche was considering at least something like a new GT4 or Spyder for those seeking that old-time sports car magic at a more affordable price point than a similarly exhilarating 911.
Now though, this report means that the future of a combustion-powered 718 is at least somewhat in doubt. It would be a shame if it didn’t end up happening. As strange as it sounds, there are only really two players in the $70,000-to-$100,000-ish combustion-powered sports car arena anymore: The Corvette and the Lotus Emira. The former’s an astonishing performance car, but also rather big. The second might be getting a four-speed automatic. Yes, a four-speed automatic. The BMW Z4’s dead, the Toyota GR Supra’s dead, the Mercedes-Benz SLC didn’t really count, but it’s dead anyway, and the Porsche 911 has simply grown too expensive. Only time will tell if there’s a future for a gasoline-burning entry-level Porsche sports car, and the waiting’s always the hardest part.
Top graphic image: Porsche
<CORVETTE > is rather big AND UGLY. (and auto only)
To quote the Bild Zeitung should be rated as a crime.
Hey VW, we all told you we hated your stupid button-free cars. FAFO.
Schrödinger’s Boxter, brought to you by Reddy Kilowatt.
Yeah, I’ve pretty much given up on Porsche dreams, ones that I’ve had since I was a kid. Over 40 years of drawing 911s and such, owning a VW Beetle and wishing it was a 911, all that’s pretty much gone now. I had moved down to Cayman/Boxter, because of sky high prices, and thought that would work. Now that’s gone, too.
Guess I’ll settle into Saab/Mini now.
The rising cost of buying new has killed that dream a lot of us, but it’s still relatively affordable to make your Cayman/Boxster wishes come true on the used market at very reasonable prices (996 is still within reach too). And they will arguably give you a more pure experience than any of the new ones…lighter and fewer nannies, plus you get a NA 6-cylinder as a base case, not some expensive upgrade.
I’m on my 4th “used” Porsche now, and I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on much compared to the boomers in my PCA club who paid 4x as much for a new one.
Great timing for Toyota for their rumoured MR2 revival.
I think the relative affordability is overstated. A $120k optioned up Boxster GTS 4.0 is around $2k/mo. A $180k optioned 911 S is around $3k/mo.
If $1k/mo makes a difference to you financially then buying a status symbol like a Porsche is wild. You’ll make a lot more friends out there with something like a Miata and people won’t assume that you’re compensating or insecure or obsessed with a brand that is simply in the business of selling the idea of a gentleman racer lifestyle so that they can take your money
I agree with your overall message.
But let’s not undersell the difference of $1k/mo. That’s nearly a $20k difference in Salary to cover the difference.
Maybe if 300HP Camrys and 800 HP trucks never happened, and everything “plebian” was still incredibly slow, we wouldn’t be here today.
Those of us who are elderly remain shocked that cars like Camrys can blow the doors off all the muscle cars and exotics of our youth.
I also laugh when someone says a 6 second crossover is “underpowered”. My 1987 S-15 Jimmy had the optional V6 that made all of 110 hp. It rocketed the vehicle 0-60 is something like 16-18 seconds.
Dude, you had the V6!! I’m jelly.
My 81′ Toyota pickup had 95 ponies from its four banger, slllowww car slloooowwww.
We set up a quarter mile track on a farm road and it was hilarious.
Quarter mile times were often the same as the 0-60 times.
The cars were that slow.
Crossing the Grapevine in my Toyota required foot on the floor, third gear, max rpms, and still losing speed.
Yikes.
The youths today have no context of what a slow car is.
For example, Roger Huntington’s fab book, American Supercar, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand American performance cars from the 1910s to the 80s.
His top end of American muscle was the 1965 Vette with the Mark IV big block. (next up was the fuelie 57′ Vette, lighter weight)
Estimated net horsepower: 350
0-60: 5.7 sec
Quarter: 14.1 sec
For comparison the current ND Miata will do that same 0-60 and nearly that same quarter, 14.4.
And every single time anyone talks about the ND Miata it’s a “slow” car.
The youths today are used to mom’s Model Y which is a gotterdammerung rocket ship!
Their first car so be a 2021 whatever and it will only do 0-60 in 6.2 seconds and they’ll think it’s horrible slow piece of crapola.
It’s a great time if you love sheer raw speed!
But us geezers will sit in the corner muttering, “A six second car is fast” to ourselves while the kids feel sorry for us and wonder where our caregiver is and should someone check on that guy, he looks a little pale.
Did you have the automatic or manual? Mine was the 3 speed auto which made it extra slow.
It topped out at an indicated 82 mph and I spent a lot of miles at that speed.
5 speed. I only could hit 81mph flat out, never even pegged the needle on the stop at 85.
It’s true.We easily forget how spoiled we are now.
No! I was PROMISED flying cars!!!
Making a petrol version of an electric platform design is probably too much of a compromise. I’m guessing their engineering mules are showing this and further development is either pointless or they don’t want to release a product that doesn’t drive like it should.
Just a double business major with no experience in car manufacturing but I wonder if the CEO of VW Brands had every group make a presentation about their models justify the group, set a game plan, and present a budget for the future or just said I got a promotion I will decide?
Interesting rolling out a Boxster EV would make it faster and quicker than the 911. Didn’t they actually reduce the Boxster ICE numbers so it wouldn’t eclipse the 911?
I wonder to car manufacturers look at other companies cancelled models prior to cancelling their cars? Seems a company like Nissan might be able to grow sales on the tail end of a model cut. I mean the Miata came out it wasn’t anything but a low powered convertible 2 seater. But since it was the only one it did great. While still a decent car it’s sales have decreased as other similar cars have been introduced. Couldn’t that work in reverse?
Surely cutting all of the crossover coupes would do most of the cuts they need.
VW Group made it known late Monday the 13th about those 50,000 planned job cuts.
Yeah. About that. It might be 100,000. (BBC).
VW Group has about 700K global employees, but a 14.3% cut in 3.5 years is yikes.
If they’re cutting 1 in 7 employees, they’re nixing a LOT of plans.
But AI will just fill in all those roles, right? Right?
They call all go work at the data centres.
No, the cars won’t be made. That is the point of cutting half their models and something like 4 factories in Europe.
Actually I believe the correct reason would be low sales cost 100,000 jobs. Quality is suffering, sales are suffering, employees want more money but due to decreased sales it will be for less work. Simple decision sales down, model variety down employees down. You stop making a car why do you need the employees who made it?
There’s one thing buried in here and one overlooked.
First the buried: The Golf is going back into production in Mexico? Be still my heart, will it be sold across the continent?
Second, not mentioned: While the ICE 718 dies, as a replacement, the 911 will follow the Corvette and become a mid engine vehicle with an ICE powertrain. Yes it will be close to a metre wider and 500 kilograms heavier, but it will also go up in price to be considered a true Porsche sports car. /s
The Golf will be reborn for the US market as the cut-rate VW Lasko.
Fancy Euro-pee-an winds? In this economy?! Nah, we’re on a budget!
“The Corvette and the Lotus Emira. The former’s an astonishing performance car, but also rather big. The second might be getting a four-speed automatic. Yes, a four-speed automatic. ”
A former Head of Powertrain Design at Lotus says: you what?
More background on this please. It sounds wildly unlikely…
LC350h drivetrain stuffed sideways?
Either that or it’s getting the Clio’s…
This is about my tenth reply, I’ve considered each version very carefully, and deleted them all apart from this: I really miss posting under an alias.
Corvette big? But Lotus no one in America can fit in it. Maybe make it a ladies sports car, but then you need less performance and more makeup mirrors and more options. Except for Sabine no woman appreciates a true sports car
The fastest lap I was ever driven around the Hethel test track was by a woman, and I’ve been driven around there a lot.
So, I am apparently one of the few people that does want to transition from my (aging) ICE Boxster to an electric version, but I was under the impression that Porsche had put the kibosh on that, and were just going to stick with the dead dinosaur powertrain. This article implies they will be coming out with EV Boxsters/Caymans. Did I miss something?
I don’t fully remember but the project may have still lived on in Audi form? And it’d be the manifestation of the Audi Concept C (the limited production Nuvolari is not supposed to be it). So perhaps they uncancelled the Porsche version of that platform at some point.
If they do pull the plug on the 983 generation, I really hope it’s just a temporary interruption and we see another Boxster eventually.
I think the gradual departure from parts-sharing, despite improving the product, really hurt its ability to function as a profit center.
The bespoke 4-cylinder that doesn’t share development or production with the 911 was a decent bet when world markets were clamoring for these cars in lower displacements for tax purposes, but I’d much rather see a de-turboed version of the Carrera’s 3.0L if they can save money on development that way, even if they need to ditch the lovely 4.0 trims.
Re-use 911’s hood, A-pillars and door skins like the 986 and 987 did, even if we lose the 981/982’s sculpted air ducts and return to the awkward vents of yore, anything to keep the entry-level model alive.
Failing that, I just hope Porsche can get back on their feet and offer us another entry-level sports car. The 944 was brilliant, and I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a newer front-engined model using a VW engine if they can make it half as good as the GR86.
I have no interest in a new electric Porsche sports car and almost zero interest in owning a used one.
Strangely, I do have interest in a used Taycan.
The Taycan finally had some of it’s awkward styling fixed, so I hope there is enough of the refreshed ones made to consider a used one in a few years.
Check the used listings. There’s no shortage of them with low miles and huge depreciation.
I have to say, the thing that would tempt me away from a used Taycan is a used Lucid. The tiny market share is the only thing that keeps me away from a used Lucid. Few people are going to bother developing aftermarket solutions to the Lucid’s many flaws, and those who do will charge dearly for it.
It’s the GTS Sport Turismo that calls to me.
Very much yes.
I’m not a brand manager or anything, but I think it’s nuts that Porsche isn’t selling a sports car below the 911 now, considering they’re a sports car company(yes I know the Insta-influencer special SUVs outsell them, but c’mon). You’d think there would be a decent amount of demand for a sub-$100k Porsche sports car, especially as the 911 continues to climb in price. Facelift the current 718, sell it with one or two engine options(flat 4 and detuned 911 engine?) and keep selling it. I get that more expensive product=more money, but there’s only so many rich people, a lower cost desirable car probably would bring in more sales and money.
Also weird to see the Jetta go away, I always saw it as a core VW product. But I guess in the age of the crossover only the strong sedans survive…
They’re going to go Ferrari on that one, where the entry-level Porsche is a used Porsche.
There’s more money in infinite special 911 variants (apparently).
And yet – the entry-level Ferrari is a mid-engine coupe and spyder.
Depends on how far used you go.
That was close to a quote from a Ferrari exec, but the internet is all slop now and I can’t find the original source.
It isn’t just Ferrari. Toyota here started shilling their used cars in official advertising when eyebrows were raised at the entry Yaris now being 27k AUD instead of the 20k we were more used to.
It feels like they’re pushing profitability over volume. And it worked out such that they timed the EV switch almost as poorly as possible. That was just bad luck, really.
They should.
Porsche should not be their mass market brand. The only reason to sell someone a Boxster is if they come back for a 911. If that feeder line isn’t working, let them buy something else.
Killing the Fabia is absolutely stupid. Nobody cares about any of the other models.
Also the equivalent to the Taos, I suspect, is not the T-Roc (a car which bridges the gap between the B and C segment) but rather the T-Cross.
If you couldn’t understand the Touareg, you can’t have the T-Roc (same concept, only smaller and more affordable).
Wasn’t the Toureg just the Cayenne in a less-flattering outfit?
Exactly. An expensive thoroughly engineered VW.
(And yes possibly some of the engineering decisions might have been questionable, but that is besides the point)
They have years of market intelligence at this point. They have probably found out that the Cayenne doesn’t really need to be any good at SUV things, it just needs to wear a Porsche badge and have seating for a couple of kids.
Ah, possibly.
But that was not the point I was trying to make. More Atlas v Touareg being a similar proposition to Taos (T-Cross) v T-Roc.
They might be similarly sized, but very different in concept.
Those distinctions would be entirely lost on me.
I never got the point of the Xterra. I shop a vehicle like that based entirely on comfort / features / interior space. I don’t really hauls or tow anything and just need AWD so my wife can leave it in the garage when she works from home when it snows.
The T-Roc and T-Cross are the same size. The T-Cross engine range stops almost where the T-Roc starts. The T-Roc is available with four wheel drive and 2 litre engines.
A similarly powered T-Roc costs 7 grand more than a T-Cross.
Americans don’t understand any of this because the T-Roc is a cramped overpriced tiny car.
In Europe the T-Roc is one of VW best sellers.
As long as it’s a crossover, I’m shopping features and space. None of them stand out enough in any way I care about to consider much else.
I don’t even consider crossovers as individual models. They are just a pool of ‘meh’ from which I select the next vehicle I that doesn’t upset me when the dog pukes in it.
Which is why the Taos is perfect and this author’s claim that killing it and replacing it with a T-Roc is a great idea, is silly.
A T-Roc would flop spectacularly in the US.
A T-Roc is like a Juke or a CH-R… Both of those have been replaced with more upright and boxy crossovers in the form of the Corolla Cross and the Kicks.
If that’s anything to go by, replacing the Taos with the T-Roc would be monumentally stupid
Another vaguely attainable sports car bites the dust. They really don’t want us plebs to have anything anymore, do they? In all fairness the price of the 718 generation of the Boxster/Cayman had crept up so much that the veil was already coming off, but still…this is a real bummer.
It’ll have a downstream effect as well. The price of secondhand Boxsters and Caymans is about to skyrocket. 981s were already nearing unobtanium and they’re about to get there. A base one in good condition is about to become a $60,000 car and will only go up. I’m sure Doug will do a video on one soon and they’ll be selling for six figures on his venture capital bonanza auction site.
Everyone wins except regular people. I gave up on my Porsche dream about a year ago and I think it’s high time we all do. Porsche wants to compete with the Bentleys and Ferraris of the world and there won’t be a single model under 6 figures within the next 2 years. God bless Mazda for keeping the Miata going, it’s our only hope. Although since I’m not as crazy about manual transmissions as everyone else here is I’ve got my eye on a used C8 eventually and I think they’re making enough of them that they’ll get cheaper.
Also the Jetta biting the dust is a real bummer. That’s a legacy name that means something to a lot of people. The Taos is stupid crossover slop no one will miss. And I was vaguely right with my comment the other day, superfluous VAG crossovers are going to bite the dust and nothing of value will be lost. Anyway if you want a Boxster or Cayman you best go and buy one ASAP because they will never be cheaper than they are right now again…
Fabia. Is the name that doesn’t make sense in that report.
Also the new A110 clearly indicates that this segment is gone. Nobody wants two doors anymore.
I really hope Boxster values don’t go up, I love being able to daily it guilt-free as it stands.
Higher values mean higher insurance premiums, more difficult battles for payouts in the case of a claim, and more expensive replacement parts as the average owner becomes more affluent. That would be a huge bummer for me, and might make it impractical to keep.
I also hope as many people as possible get to continue experiencing these cars, they’re a joy to drive and pretty satisfying work on.
I don’t expect Boxster values to skyrocket. There are a lot of them, and a healthy portion of those are dailies.
Unless you’re concerned about every fraction of a second in lap times, the Miata / GR86 should scratch your itch and not have you worrying about maintaining them out of warranty.
A Miata or Toyobaru will be the sensible choice for my eventual weekend car but the swan song of a flat 6 will never not tempt me….
I hear that, and I’ll one-up you and say I hate Subaru.
I’ll still probably buy a(nother) GR86 / BRZ in the next year or so.
The C-Suite crowd thinks that if you want to have fun, then you should PAY THEM for it, otherwise you’re not deserving of having access to it…
I just bought a 1st gen Honda Insight. I only had room to get that one car, although, a 1st gen Cayman was number two on the list of candidates. The Insight may not be as sexy, but it is the lighter and more efficient platform that will go faster for the amount of money put into it. Plus there are AWD kits for Civics that with some modification, could be put in it to ready it for a Tesla drive system swap and 40-ish kWh battery. Got to keep that curb weight in the low-2,000 lb range.
I look at EVs like carburetor guys look at EFI.
I’m not likely to ever swap a battery pack for any reason.
The modern EVs you can buy suck. They’re enshitified with tech bloat and software lockouts/proprietary tools prevent you or any indie mechanic from repairing them.
Taking an old car and converting it to EV allows you to have a mostly-analogue vehicle that you know how to fix yourself without any special tools required. Simple EVs are great. It’s not hard to make an electric car last a human lifetime with minimal maintenance and repairs, it’s just that the modern auto industry refuses to do it.
What’s great about the Insight is that it is an aluminum monocoque. Barring an accident, the damned thing will last millions of miles. Put an electric motor in it and set up a battery in an accessible location, and you could have a fun go-fast Sunday driver that can also be used as a daily, which also saves you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the decades.
Insights are even more rare than Caymans. I see a lot of potential for upswing in value. Had VW XL1s been available at a reasonable price, I’d have hunted one of them instead, but they’re even more rare and have been crazy expensive since their release.
Old dog. New Trick.
I believe everything you say, and I keep wanting to dip my toes in the water with at least an e-bike or an off-road cart build with e-bike components. I just don’t have the time at the moment to learn the things to do it.
For the automatic trans buyer on a budget, the sweet spot appears to be the 2009-2011 Boxster non-S with PDK (dual clutch). It should be possible to get a nice one today for $15-25,000. I was surprised to see one this nice sold for only $15K! (not my car/no affiliation)
No Reserve: 2011 Porsche Boxster for sale on BaT Auctions – sold for $15,000 on April 27, 2026 (Lot #239,746) | Bring a Trailer
I feel this rant so much. About a decade ago, I’d check out how much BMW 750s, HDT diesel bikes, Grumman LLVs, and old Porsche Boxsters cost. I thought to myself that I’d pick one of them up the second I got enough cash. Now I have enough cash, but the prices for all of them have gone up.
The military diesel bike? Went for like $5k in government auctions. Now dudes want $15k for them. Grumman LLVs? They occasionally show up on GovDeals and used to go for like $3k, now they go for like $17k. BMW 750s? Used to see those for $3k all day. Now even they’ve gone up. I’m not paying $15k for a mil-spec diesel bike that has zero parts, and the only guy who knows how to fix them is dead. I’m also not paying $17k for a 30-year-old Chevy S-10 with an aluminum box and a million farts on it. Sigh…
Like UPS trucks, no LLVs were supposed to leave the Postal Motor Pool alive or intact… But a few have escaped. With those prices and the Postal Service’s finances, they outa be sellin’ em!
It’s tough isn’t it? By the time I’ll actually be able to afford my weekend car I’m worried I’ll be priced out of everything but a Miata or Toyobaru. First world problems for sure, but as someone who grew up dreaming of a Porsche it’s a bit of a bummer. I’ve worked plenty hard to get myself into a comfortable financial position but the goal posts keep moving.
Other than the C8 something else I’m keeping an eye on are the current gen Z4s. Supras haven’t depreciated a cent because of JDM bros but their mechanical twins have suffered the usual German luxury car gut punch. You can get a nice enough one in the high 20s/low 30s at this point.
Unfortunately the manual ones will remain collectors items, but the B48/ZF8 combo is so much better than it gets credit for. If you can’t have fun with a 2 seat roadster that hits 60 in about 5 seconds flat I don’t know what to tell you….and I mean you as in the general “you”, I know you and your wife can have a blast in stuff that has like 50 horsepower haha.
I’m 32 and had been planning to buy a weekend car at 35 (when I’m no longer paying for Daycare for either child). I’m with you, it feels like the cars I thought would be obtainable are no longer going to be an option.
This is blasphemy here, but I’m actually coming around to buying a Raptor instead because financially it works out much better than keeping my truck and adding a weekend car with the prices the car options I want are reaching.
I mean…I’m as anti brodozer as anyone but I’ve toyed with the idea of a Ranger Raptor as my do everything dad car. Unfortunately the backseats are completely useless and won’t accommodate car seats…and that combined with the horrific fuel economy was enough for me to tap out…but I do understand the logic.
You answered your own question about the 718 – “real Porsche sports car thrills at a far lower price than a 911”. The Cayman was a more capable chassis than any 2wd 911 – if they’d ever put the full fat engine in it, it would have been quicker for sure – but the market just isn’t there to sell $200k Caymans. If you’re going to have one sports car it needs to be the one with the name recognition that you can upsell to the moon, regardless of whether it’s (ironically) become a bit of a porker.
The Cayman has always been better than the 911. The real ones know…
Resale prices of GT4 RS’s going over sticker would beg to disagree. But, I’m more interested in the every day Porsche sports car and the departure of the base to GTS versions of the Boxster and Cayman leave a gulf open in the $50-100k sports car price space.
I guess one of the things about getting old is that inflation runs away while you’re not looking – I had in my head that GT3s were still $200k when they’re double that!
I guess I got my thinking wrong. It’s not so much that there’s no market at all for GT4s at that price, but more that Porsche would rather the market be for ‘poverty spec’ 911s in that price range.
The Taos was originally developed for the Chinese market. I’m sure the logic was that it’s slightly bigger than the T-Cross.
China’s market share will get absorbed by an EV, and no one will notice.
American market won’t notice if it lives or dies.
And the ROW will likely be just fine with a T-Cross instead.
I do, however, wonder what VW will do in America without the Jetta; they’ve already really butchered the Golf.
This. The T-Roc is an entirely different animal.
Seems like the logical thing to do is replace it with the T-Roc. Golf sized and on a common global platform.
The Jetta is on track to sell less than 60,000 in 2026 so it won’t really be a loss – especially considering it is a unique model just for North America.
America is notorious for “big and cheap”. My vote is TCross because it’s cheaper.
But, if VW were tossing out the Jetta then maybe the Taigo slots in at the bottom and they use the TRoc to fill the gap to the Tiguan.
It’s all a big open question on what it would take to meet unique US standards.
Earlier this year, after literally years of thinking about it, I had my Ocean Blue 2000 Boxster S repainted. I did the wet-sanding and buffing myself, finally finishing that arduous task on 4th of July weekend. It’s looking like my efforts were not in vain.
I get that money is tight and that brands in the VAG might need to cut their lowest selling models but it would be smarter to just put the 718 back into production. Give it a de-stroked 911 flat 6 (2.7L) and kick it out the door. Either that or make a new 912 and have it fill the 718 price point but they have to have a Vette priced sports car
Do they?
Or would Porsche be quite happy to just happily sell Cayennes and 911s at higher prices?
Oh they would be happy to for sure but Porsche has always had an air of attainability and of being sports car forward. Losing that public image by killing their entry level sports car is brand poison. The 718 is like the $1.50 Costco hot dog, it keeps people happy and interested in the brand
Taking a few years off is fine but killing it altogether just makes Porsche another Benz/BMW competitor
Not to mention Porsche carries the image of a sports car company, which is image would be hard to keep up if they only sell one that keeps increasing in price. I agree that not having an entry level sports car takes away some access and image of attainability that Porsche has had. I also don’t think Porsche has the straight volume to compete with BMW/Mercedes, not to mention in house competition with Audi
Exactly. Losing that “sports car brand” image immediate drops them into self competition with Audi makes them just an alternative to Mercedes not a separate desirable brand
I don’t think they need to offer something at Corvette prices, at least not with the super try-hard appearance of the C8. If the C8 is more refined (enoughj to tempt away Porsche buyers), Porsche may need to react.
The “try hard appearance of the C8” is exactly why they need to offer something in that price range. The Boxster and Cayman were the thinking man’s sports car in that price range and the Corvette was the loud obnoxious one.
A sports car brand that’s afraid to make sports cars is a dead brand walking
I don’t think they really care if the Corvette takes away Cayman / Boxster buyers. They won’t worry until it hurts 911 sales.
Also, you can still get the 911 with a manual.
I had a 981 Boxster S 6MT that I would’ve kept forever, but someone totaled it. It was so difficult to find a good replacement with good option content and in a good color, so I had to look at 718 GTS 4.0’s and really stretched myself to get a CPO ’22 6MT in Shark Blue over Chalk.
I had 0 interest in a 4-cyl 718, so you can imagine my interest in an EV version. I didn’t foresee the next generation getting better in any meaningful way, so I figured the car will be a very low cost of ownership and possibly appreciate like my 981 did. Insurance paid me $9k more than I’d bought it for 4 years prior.
I can definitely see it appreciating – the branding is just too strong.
My wife and I saw a short balding fellow in a blue one once and I remember her reaction “his poor wife”. Never bet against testosterone replacement vehicles. There will always be a shorter man in more elegant driving loafers to prop up the castle in the sky