autoevolution
 

Porsche Confirms Four-Cylinder Boxer Engine: Up To 400 HP

Talks of Porsche working on a four-cylinder engine have been going on for quite a while and CEO Matthias Muller has come to confirm that the company is working on such a powerplant.
Porsche Boxster 1 photo
Photo: original image by autoevolution
Muller said that the future Boxster and Cayman models will be available with a flat four for the first time. Aside from the obvious emissions benefit that will be brought by the downsized unit, there are other advantages here.

First of all, removing two cylinders will help Porsche ditch some weight, which means that the vehicles it will be installed on will be even sharper. Then there’s the connection with Porsche’s tradition - Porsche produced a flat four from 1938 to the mid 70s, as well as L4 engines in the 90s.

As for the unit itself, this will be based on Porsche’s six-cylinder engine family - the German automaker uses a modular engine architecture, so the two will share multiple parts and will be built on the same lines.

Porsche’s CEO went on to explain that the future flat four will deliver up to 400 ps (395 hp). This means that while the entry-level version(s) may be naturally aspirated, Porsche will also offer one or more turbocharged versions of the unit.

Of course, the NA model(s) retain their linear power delivery advantage, a characteristic that’s more than important when it comes to a sports car - especially when you’re going through a bend and driving at the limit, you’ll want the power to come in a predictable manner and, even with the modern turbochargers, there’s nothing that beats a naturally-aspirated engine.

And while Muller only confirmed the new engine of the Cayman and Boxster, we are pretty sure this will also make it into the 911. In fact, we’ve talked about the 911 getting a “non-Turbo” turbocharged version when showing you a recent set of spyshots. Moreover, we’ll remind you that Muller used the German press conference for the Macan introduction last month to state that the SUV would receive a four-cylinder engine for the Chinese market.

The introduction of a flat four will also have a financial effect for Porsche customers, with the engine obviously set to spawn more affordable versions of the cars it is mounted on.

Via: Autoweek
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories