2011 Boxster will have 4-cyl
 

In my opinion, Porsche has been pretty far ahead from the pack in clean/economical/efficient engine designs. The thought of a 4 cyl... :barf: .. but when fact comes to fact, it actually seems like a good move. That or a diesel

I love the unique sound of the flat 6 and 4-cyl engine is definitely a turn-off for me.

At least that article mentioned the next Boxster will be lighter since it's been gaining weight year by year.

Not to mention the move to 4cyl will make the car even more of a pariah to those who think the 911 should stand alone. The 944 Boxster, glad I have mine already...

You should note that they said the 4 cyl will be turbocharged and just over 200 bhp. The Subaru WRX I used to have was like 227 hp stock, turbo 2.0L 4 cyl. With an intake, exhaust, boost controller, and ECU chip I was pushing over 300 hp and 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds - all for about $2,500 in mods.

I wouldn't dismiss a 4 cyl turbo Boxster just yet. It may actually have a LOT of potential. Subaru and Mitsubishi are both selling stock cars now that are pushing 300 hp from 4 cyl turbo engines. Heck, even GM and Chrysler can do a lot with a turbo 4 (Solstice GXP, Neon SRT4, etc.)! With the focus on fuel economy I doubt that Porsche will do the same, BUT the potential may be there to really crank the boost up, throw fuel economy out the window, and get these things to move!

We'll have to wait and see....

Kirk

Kirk:

If you want more horsepower, you're not going to own a Boxster to begin with.

Not to mention tuning Japanese vs European cars are totally different. You will definitely not see the same hp gain on a european turbo (say 1.8T off a VW/Audi) than japanese turbo (MKIV Supra or Mitsu EVO).

Let's see any european cars, including VW, Audi, BMW or Benz do this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFB1S4T6B98

I'm sure it will be fast, maybe they will slap some of that variable vein turbo technology on the beast. I just think 4cyl sports cars are available in many cheaper varieties, they may find the other manufacturers canabalizing their market unless they build the car as a proper Porsche.

either way, the thought of a turbo will definitely turn more people on to "boost". The current boxster engines, whether a 2.5/2.7/3.3 don't carry boost that well, the 4 cyl will definitely have the option to make more power in the long run

I think a 4 cylinder Boxster will be fine as long as it remains quick. If it can do a decent 0-60 time and get 25+ mpg I think it will appeal to even more people. This move might also have something to do with new restrictions on fuel consumption, that's hitting sports car manufactures hard.

Hey, some of us already have a 4-cyl mid-engined Porsche! :)

Don't forget, the E30 M3, with it's highly-strung 4-cyl, is viewed by most as the most visceral version of the M3, and it's an excellent track car. A 4-cyl is a different experience than a more powerful 6- or 8-cyl, and it can be a lot of fun on the street. Nothing like having a car that weighs closer to 2,000 lbs as compared 3,000+ lbs when it comes to transitions and general maneuverability.

BTW, another 4-cyl advantage: I drove from Phoenix today to our house in Flagstaff and back. It's about 175 miles each way, with a 6,000 ft elevation gain going to Flagstaff. I drove my new Honda Fit Sport, cruise set between 75 and 80 mph on I-17. On the steepest grades it dropped all the way to 3rd (at 70 mph), just under 6,000 rpm, but Honda builds a pretty smooth motor, so it wasn't unpleasant. Round trip mileage (as measured by actual fuel consumption and mileage, not by the wacky "avg. mpg" guage) was 35.3 mpg. Not bad!

I have a 4 cyl turbo Porsche now. Stock it was rated @ 247hp. I have a chip, boost controller and dual port wastegate and already pushing 275 whp. This is just from a simple $600 expense. I have friends who are pushing 350 to over 400 whp in their modified 951's. A 4cyl turbo Boxster that will be lighter than current base boxster will be enticing. It won't be long before this turbo will have more power than the new Boxster S with just simple mods. As others mentioned the engine note will definitely change.

I will believe that when Porsche official announces it.

The 914 is reborn!

Agreed, I won't be holding my breath. It would be nice to see a much lighter, 4-cylinder car, but now that the Elise, Miata and Solstice/Sky are crowding both ends of that market, I don't see how it would compete. And you know Porsche wouldn't tolerate a British car costing more than theirs so it would have to be pricey too, like over US$45k.

Guys, you gotta realize, this kind of move is being FORCED on Porsche. Fuel economy standards are being pushed on auto manufacturers, and face it, Porsche does NOT do economy cars. It would be very hard for Porsche to comply using just their flat six engines. Sure, they have made great advances... direct injection and other schemes DO help fuel economy.

Given I can get 31mpg highway, and average about 26mpg for my commuting in my 2.7l Boxster, I'd venture with a ~2.0l turbocharged engine, that would probably be closer to 35-38mpg highway, and 30mpg average. Not too shabby. And a turbocharged 4 would leave room for tuning. Yes, I know Porsche would already have a very well tuned engine, but if economy and meeting such standards was a priority, they may have to leave the engines detuned a little to meet those standards. Then we can tune them for more, standards be damned!

I also wonder if Porsche will look at diesel engines... a diesel 4 banger making ~150 horses and 300+lb torque would be pretty interesting!

The regulations may not apply to Porsche. There is a minimum in volume sales that have to be met to fall under this law. This is how Ferrari, Lamborghini and others that get 16 on the highway can still sell cars. I'm not sure but I bet these rules also apply to subsidiaries like Jaguar and Aston Martin.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/new-cafe-standards-could-exempt-porsche.html

Yet another reason why Porsche is getting back in bed with VW. When the government looks at the fuel economy across the whole family of vehicles it is easier to get away with a gas guzzling 911 when a Golf TDI is balancing things out.

With the way Porsche has been releasing a new version of the 911 every other month, I think we are going to see a 320 HP direct injection Boxster with PDK before we see four banger.

I believe taxes/fees on cars in Europe are based on the displacement of the motor, so a smaller motor will be more economical to own.

201 seems like a tame target for a modern Turbo 4, I'm inclined to believe the millage targets are going to be important. My friend works for Hyundai and says many manufacturers are going back to Turbo technology.

As a Miata owner who has seen what a turboed Miata (200+ RWHP and just over 2,000 lbs) can do I have no reason to dismiss a 4-banger Boxster. As has been mentioned before, the Subie boxer engine can push some HP to the tarmac.

Numbers are too often misleading without looking at the whole picture.