Farewell to the Porsche 718 – Why We’ll Miss the Boxster & Cayman
It seems 2025 has become the year of goodbyes. Not to friends or family, thankfully, but to some truly iconic cars that shaped the modern motoring landscape. Recently, I waved off the Nissan GT-R, then the Honda Civic Type R. And now, with a lump in the throat and perhaps a tear in the eye, it’s time to say farewell to the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman. This is one that hits hard.
When Porsche first launched the 986 Boxster back in 1996, it was a revelation. A brand-new model, sitting below the 911, but with an exotic mid-engine layout more often associated with Ferraris than Stuttgart’s finest. Skeptics sneered – “couldn’t afford a 911, so you bought a Boxster?” – but the truth was very different.
I still remember my first drive in the early 2000s, when we pulled one into Used Car Buyer magazine. I’d driven 911s before, but the Boxster floored me with its balance, its confidence, its eagerness to dance through B-roads and roundabouts. Where the 911 was occasionally intimidating, the Boxster was joyful, communicative, and forgiving. It talked to you through the steering wheel, through the seat, through the soles of your shoes. In short – it made you feel like a driving god.
The Cayman joined the party in the 987 era (2005), and by then it was clear Porsche had bottled something very special. By the time I drove the 981 in Dubai (2012–2016), I was convinced – this was the “sensible Porsche”, but often the more satisfying one. Sure, the move to electric steering dulled the feel a little, but the balance remained sublime.
Then came the 982, rebranded as the 718, in 2016. A controversial move – downsizing to a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo. Purists groaned. I… rather liked it. Roof down, it burbled and buzzed like an old-school Porsche flat-four, Beetle heritage and all. And on track? I drove it hard around Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi – and honestly, it gave me more confidence than the 911 of the same era. On the road, the 911 might have been the more refined choice, but on the track, the 718 was more accessible for the ham-fisted.
So why kill it? Not because it wasn’t selling. Demand remained strong. No, the culprit here is European electronic and data protection legislation, making it uneconomical to update the platform. Porsche decided to call time and prepare an all-new EV successor – built on the same platform as Audi’s C EV concept.
Will the electric replacement capture the same magic? I’m not convinced. The Boxster/Cayman was never about horsepower wars or status games. It was about balance, poise, and joy. About giving ordinary drivers the confidence to feel extraordinary behind the wheel.
Nearly three decades, four generations, countless smiles. Goodbye, Porsche Boxster and Cayman. You were never the “poor man’s 911”. You were, in many ways, the better Porsche.
💭 Did you ever drive one? Own one? Hate one? Love one? Share your Boxster/Cayman memories in the comments – I’d love to hear them.
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