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The Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster, in the form buyers have known so far, have now disappeared from dealerships, and the road to their replacements has not been straightforward. An EV successor, first seen testing as far back as 2022, was reportedly at risk of being cancelled in February, even after Audi had started planning its own electric sports car on the same architecture. Less than a year ago, a new petrol-powered model was also confirmed, only for it to face cancellation speculation of its own last month. That leaves Porsche facing uncertainty on both possible routes for its more accessible sports car line — but thankfully, CEO Michael Leiters says at least one of those options is still moving ahead.

In a recent interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Leiters addressed a broad set of questions covering both the company’s present financial challenges and its future strategy to get back on track. One of those questions focused on the electric 718, which is among a handful of new products left in an awkward position after the company’s earlier push to move much of its range to electric power delivered disappointing results. However, Leiters told the publication that the company’s leadership had “come to the conclusion that we will build the [EV] – because it is the best solution economically and will be a fantastic car.”

Considering how much time and engineering effort Porsche has likely invested in developing this platform over the last five years or more, abandoning the 718 EV at this stage would always have been a surprising move. At the same time, the fact that there was no mention of the recently promised internal-combustion version could be seen as a mildly worrying sign for buyers still hoping for a fifth-generation 718 with a more traditional powertrain.

The product update was not limited to the 718. Leiters also said Porsche has “no plans to discontinue the Taycan in the short term,” which secures at least a temporary future for the four-door EV even as the brand reduces the number of variants on offer. That may not be welcome news for enthusiasts of the Turismo-badged Taycan estate versions that have already been dropped from the American market, but it should be enough to keep the EV in the line-up for at least a few more years.

Meanwhile, two other major models that have been reported as being under consideration — an SUV positioned above the Cayenne and a sports car placed above the 911 — apparently remain theoretical for now, at least based on what the CEO is prepared to confirm. Leiters discussed both during the interview, but only in the context of products the brand is evaluating. He added that if either reaches production, both would be aimed at the upper end of the U.S. market.