Next Boxster Mill 4 cylinder?

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by wild1poet2

Wasn't sure if I could link another site here. There have been rumors for awhile of that power range. As has been pointed out the subies' are getting close to that now.

This could be a way to keep the Boxster/Cayman from overlapping into the 911 series market. I want them to take the 3.4L 6 and turbocharge it. A factory turbo charged Boxster. A hybrid assisted turbo 4 sounds interesting however.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/05/2016-next-next-porsche-boxster-to-get-twin-turbo-four-cayman-st/

Excerpt: "..... Car contends that the next major Boxster/Cayman facelift is due around 2015/2016 and a host of new drivetrains will follow suit. A bigger bore twin-turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four will replace the current 3.4-liter flat-six, developing over 350 horsepower and a similar amount of torque. A smaller, 1.6-liter version will make its way into the oft-rumored 356-inspired speedster, the nearly forgotten mid-engine Volkswagen and Audi's sub-TT. And don't be surprised if a hybrid-assist option appears in late 2016."

Interesting. Considering the 991 is getting 3.4 and 4.0 boxer sixes, and the 3.4 will be 350bhp, I would guess that a 350bhp 4-cylinder is not in the cards in the immediate future of the 981.

[wild1poet2]

That link is guessing for 2016 MY. So maybe by then 350hp will seem modest.

The original Boxster 6 was of 2.5L displacement.

I'm not thrilled with the idea.

[Overdrive]

2.5 for a six cylinder is really on the small side of displacement. These days you find more often that there are 4 cylinders up to that displacement, it's sort of that threshold where one can either make a big 4 or a small 6 (Mazda3s now have 2.5 fours, used to be a 2.3). I don't see anything wrong with using the same displacement with two fewer cylinders and some forced induction...so long as it sounds right.

I'm sure that for right now they're going to stick with what's there and wait until the last possible minute to introduce new style engines to meet regulations. Too much money has been invested in the engines already out there and improving upon them in what's coming up on 15 years. Since things always sort of trickle down from flagship cars, I figure the same will happen for the Boxster unless they decide to pull a little from VW here, a little from Audi there, which I'm sure is very likely for anything that's not a 911. The only thing I'm hoping they don't do is try to put an inline TSI engine from a GTI in the car and still call it a Boxster.

[ekam]

Flat 6 is naturally balanced. Won't have the smoothness nor the same song in a 4-cyl turbo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_balance

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by ekam

Flat 6 is naturally balanced. Won't have the smoothness nor the same song in a 4-cyl turbo.

porsche knows that it's not just the engine sound, or the engine balance, or the lines of the car, or the balance of the car, or the big headlights, or the steering response, etc. that makes a porsche a porsche. every time porsche has introduced something new the crowed claimed it was the end of porsche but somehow it all worked out.

now, will porsche with added fahrvergnügen be able to continue that? who knows. as long as vw lets porsche keep doing what it does best, it should turn out okay.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by tonycarreon

now, will porsche with added fahrvergnügen be able to continue that? who knows. as long as vw lets porsche keep doing what it does best, it should turn out okay.

Sad truth is they're forced to make "improvements" due to increased government regulation on safety and fuel economy.

Fortunately they do have one of the world's best marketing department so it's all going to work out in terms of sales.

Now where's my flying car?

[pothole]

Personally, I think a turbo four would be awful.

It won't sound right and it won't go right. You often read about such and such new turbo engine being lag free. But I driven enough of the latest turbo engines, including the new BMW 1M, to know it's bollocks.

The problem isn't so much as the time delay, which is admittedly getting pretty small, it's the way the boost swells the torque. It spoils the power delivery and disconnects you from the car - it feels like the car is driving itself.

I've been buzzing around in the latest MINI Cooper S the last few days and it's crap. Much boostier than I was expecting. Reviews routinely gloss over this kind of thing. The old supercharged model was much nicer.

Put simply, turbos blow (F40 is exception that proves the rule!)