- The same new cybersecurity requirements in the EU led to the premature death of the Porsche Macan.
- Next-generation 718 Cayman and Boxster models will be available with battery-electric powertrains.
- The Cayman GT4 RS and Boxster RS Spyder are exempt from the new rules due to their limited production.
Porsche will have to axe the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman in the European Union because they will not comply with new EU cybersecurity laws set to take effect on July 1, 2024.
These new laws aim to protect the electronic architectures of modern vehicles from hackers. Late last year, Porsche confirmed the laws would force it to stop selling the Macan in the EU. It has now been confirmed that the existing 718 model line also fails to comply as they were developed long before the new requirements were conceived. It isn’t possible to tweak the current models to comply with the changes.
“In the European Union and some states that apply EU legislation, the combustion-powered 718 models will not be available indefinitely,” Porsche 718 spokesperson Oliver Hilger told Motor1. “The main reason for this is the General Safety Regulation of the European Union (including cybersecurity), to which the platform will not be converted. Any models that do not meet these requirements will no longer be eligible for new registration in the EU after the beginning of July 2024.”
Read: 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster EV Shows More Details As It Nears Production
If there is one piece of good news for 718 enthusiasts in the European Union it’s that the Cayman GT4 RS and Boxster RS Spyder will soldier on as their limited production numbers mean they are exempt from the rule. The regular 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster will continue to be available in other parts of the world.
While the current 718 models do not meet the EU’s impending new cybersecurity laws, Hilger says this does not mean they are vulnerable to hacking attacks.
“The processes now required by UN ECE R 155 could not be implemented because they were not yet known and applicable back when the 718 platform was developed,” Hilger added. “But that doesn’t mean that older vehicles are not, per se, secure. When it comes to current models, we regularly check the cybersecurity of our products and work together with the global security community using a publicly accessible interface.”
