The Breakdown
- The Audi Concept C remains on track for a 2027 launch.
- Even if Porsche cancels the electric Boxster/Cayman, Audi's version is still coming.
- Porsche and Audi are working together to engineer the new EV-only platform.
When reports surfaced about Porsche potentially axing the electric Boxster and Cayman, it didn’t take long for the rumor mill to suggest Audi’s version would suffer the same fate. In a statement to Motor1, spokesperson Daniel Schuster dismissed the gossip as pure speculation, insisting the Concept C remained on track. Now, the company’s CEO has stepped in to reassure employees working on the project that the sports car has a bright future.
According to an internal letter seen by German regional newspaper Donaukurier in Ingolstadt, where Audi calls home, Gernot Döllner quashed rumors of the vehicle’s cancellation: “The delivery of the platform by Porsche is not in question.” He added that the jointly developed performance EV is “proceeding in good collaboration between Team Porsche and Team Audi.”
It remains unclear whether this also means Porsche is fully committed to the electric 718, first announced at the beginning of the decade. Battery-related issues have reportedly hampered development, although Zuffenhausen has never confirmed any technical problems. Officially, the Boxster and Cayman without internal combustion engines are still happening and are expected to launch in the coming years. Well, provided the company’s new CEO, Michael Leiters, doesn’t pull the plug, a possibility raised in a Bloomberg report.
What Audi has confirmed is that the platform is being developed exclusively for EVs. While the Boxster and Cayman will return with gasoline engines later this decade, they won’t share the electric model’s architecture. The Concept C is scheduled to launch next year in a single body style, retaining the show car’s electrically operated targa roof.
Audi previously described the Concept C as a “TT 2.0” moment, ushering in a new design language, a return to higher-quality interiors, and the reintroduction of some physical controls. Axing the car at this stage, especially after heavily promoting it, would further damage the company’s image after years of trailing BMW and Mercedes in the luxury race.
Motor1's Take: Porsche and Audi have legitimate reasons to question the market viability of these models. Sports cars represent a shrinking niche, and going fully electric will undoubtedly further dampen demand. However, it may already be too late to cancel the program, considering the Volkswagen Group has likely invested substantial sums in developing a bespoke platform from the ground up over the past few years.
In hindsight, the VW Group might have been in a stronger position had it pursued another generation of combustion-powered sports cars. Porsche recently pledged to bring back the ICE-powered 718, but Audi has ruled out another gas-fueled TT or R8. For the Four Rings, it’s EV or bust.
