If I marketed the car I'd take a no bullcrap approach.
It's faster, it's better almost every way, and it does find routes in heritage... If you want it to sound better though, stop electing governments that treat the EPA as the highest office in the land.
Have a nice day in your new sports car.
I really like the 718, but the sound is by all means the worst aspect, I feel so sorry for sales as they will have to deal with 60% of customers asking where the 2 additional cylinder option is on the build sheet.
That being said, our cars are now the bookend on the other end of the 981 spyder. They have a NA flat 6 that's larger and sounds better then a modern 911 and has two more cylinders than a modern boxster.
(Some kid with a WRX sti with an exhaust that could fit elephant genitalia parks by me at school, it's always been fun to start up the flat 6 beside his flat 4, now I'm gonna savor it just a little more.)
I've read up on the 718 and watched more than a few videos. No doubt, it is seriously quicker than any previous Boxster. I predict there will be a healthy aftermarket for custom exhausts to remedy the lame sound of it.
Too bad Porsche didn't go with a 2 liter, 6-cylinder turbo motor. Sure, it would have cost them a few bucks more due to needing an entirely new design as opposed to just truncating the 911 motor to fit a turbo. But, given the profit margins they've got, why not?
I've read up on the 718 and watched more than a few videos. No doubt, it is seriously quicker than any previous Boxster. I predict there will be a healthy aftermarket for custom exhausts to remedy the lame sound of it.
Too bad Porsche didn't go with a 2 liter, 6-cylinder turbo motor. Sure, it would have cost them a few bucks more due to needing an entirely new design as opposed to just truncating the 911 motor to fit a turbo. But, given the profit margins they've got, why not?
Aftermarket exhaust won't add 2 cylinders or change the firing order. Think of an unmuffled 1970's Baja bug, yikes.
And to think they could have designed it with a 270 degree crank, then it would sound amazing! Just like a late model Yamaha R1 or Honda VFR V4...like this:
That little 4-cyl in the YouTube video still sounds wrong to me.
There are exhaust design tricks that can help a 4-banger. Two into one back into two is a method (Dunstall) that sounded great on the Norton 750 back in the old days. Unequal header lengths can do neat things to sound as well. But, as you said, four is not six no matter what.
That little 4-cyl in the YouTube video still sounds wrong to me.
There are exhaust design tricks that can help a 4-banger. Two into one back into two is a method (Dunstall) that sounded great on the Norton 750 back in the old days. Unequal header lengths can do neat things to sound as well. But, as you said, four is not six no matter what.
Cheers,
Dave
Aero engineer, Fleet support for the Navy.
I remember those pipes, the odd looking 'tee' 2-1-2, right? I had an 850 back in the Cretaceous period...
Roger
The tuners will be able to go absolutely crazy with this engine though.
Well, sure, like they do with WRX motors. Jack the manifold pressure up to 24 psi. If the Ford Focus RS can do it, why not? Of course, Ford beefed up the internals of the motor a lot.
Another thing, the mid-engine layout of the Box makes heat dissipation a really big issue. Turning up the wick on the turbo to yield 500 HP will require a boatload of cooling. Will be interesting to see the solutions.