Between lost cylinders and new turbo engines, it's the total revolution in Porsche's engine range.
In the modern automobile industry, there is no longer any place for great fundamentalism. The current rules of the game dictate that, between financial costs and environmental obligations (often these are interconnected), brands have to give up the "ideal" in detriment of the "possible". And in general, all brands do just that: as much as possible.
And by possible means to diversify the range, reduce the size of engines, emissions, consumption, etc. Porsche has been a prime example of this spirit for the past decade. If it had been up to the more conservative, possibly, brands like Porsche would never have launched models like the Cayenne, Boxster or Panamera.
Today it is known that without these models – all of them controversial; all of them a success – Porsche would not now be able to invest what it has invested in technology and competition. Know-how that now bears fruit in series models.
In 2016, a small sports car may appear – below the Cayman and Boxster – with access to the range, equipped with a 1.6 engine with 240hp.
But at the time, the controversy was heard loud and clear, both in the specialized press and in discussion forums – voices that were silenced a little, when, due to a "black nail", the little Porsche was unable to launch a successful takeover bid. to the gigantic Volkswagen Group. Anyway… the beauty of capitalism in all its splendor.
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Now, with rumors that the next 911 GT3 may no longer rely on an atmospheric engine at the expense of a turbo-compressed unit, surely many more voices will ignite. The same ones, who will go around and around the head, knowing that Porsche is developing a new family of turbo engines with 4 cylinders and boxer architecture. A Porsche, with four cylinders?! Blasphemy.
Not really. It is not the first time that Porsche uses engines with this configuration. It has done it in the past, it is doing it today, and it certainly will in the future. According to some publications, we are talking about engines with displacements between 1,600cc and 2,500cc, and powers ranging from 240hp to 360hp.
The first model to debut this engine could be the Porsche Cayman GT4. And in 2016, a small sports car may appear – below the Cayman and Boxster – with access to the range, equipped with a 1.6 engine with 240hp. With a price that could be situated below the psychological barrier of 50,000€. Will it be less Porsche for that? We hope not. Perhaps the price to pay for modernity is not that high.
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