Non-Porsche engine swaps?

[Cloudsurfer]

As someone who is in the process of selling their 05 STi I can attest to the level of quality and engineering Subaru has put into their driveline. Mine is lightly tuned and puts 320HP to the wheels and has been 100% reliable for 30k. The all wheel drive system is state of the art. The factory Brembos are the same calipers you get on an S or base 996. However, what is missing as compared to the Porsche (or generally any European sports car) experience is cache and overall build quality. I love driving my STi on the track, but it seriously annoys me when I drive it around town. The seats are horrible (they look like they're plucked from a race car but are uncomfortable and unsupportive), the interior build quality is definitly questionable, the lack of sound deadening and my loud exhaust get annoying, and every girl who smiles are you thinks you're a 17 year old high school kid with daddy's money. Obviously, I have none of these gripes with the Boxster. Is it as fast at the track. Nope. Is it so much a better driving experience everywhere else? Yup.

I am planning a 3.4 or 3.6 swap into my boxster when my factory 3.2 gets tired, and I would never ever consider putting a non Porsche motor into this car. 944, sure an LS1 is a great option, but I think that by the time you custom engineer a solution to put an EJ series motor into a Boxster its not really going to save you much money and you've just built a Frankenstein of a car.

Just my $.02. As always, your actual mileage may vary.

Patrick

[Jinster]

Old 944s can be had for (granted, a large amount of) pocket change, so it's cheap enough for people to experiment on. Therefore there is a lot of engine transplant options out there.

986 is still relatively pricey. People who buy these don't intend to modify them in such drastic ways as to stick a non-Porsche engine in them. I have no doubt this will happen when 986s are as old and cheap as the 944s are now. But this seems a long time away. The 986 still looks good, and so you want to stick a more powerful engine in it. But the fact that it still looks good is also the reason they are still relatively pricey. By the time its value drops such that people can afford to R&D on them, they are no longer desirable machines - which is why the value dropped in the first place. It's a bit of a dilemma.

Having said that, I personally have no quarrels with non-Porsche engines in Porsches. As long as it can be considered an upgrade in real terms. Japanese cars are far more superior to European cars in all respects but styling, IMO. Dollar for dollar, there is no comparison. This may have been due to the sheer quantity of cars they manufacture. This provides them with experience many European automakers don't have. Ferraris and Lamborghinis and Maseratis and what not, are notorious for "premature" engine failures on their road going cars. Porsches with its RMS issues on the 996/986 series engines is also an example of low volume manufacturing. If Porsche sold as many cars as Toyota, this problem would have been picked up within a year and fixed for the subsequent years. Of course, one may argue that if Porsche is as popular as Toyota, you wouldn't buy one, or it would lose it's niche appeal, etc. But that's topic for another conversation. Also, those that site F1 as example that Ferrari engines are more reliable than Toyota need to understand that Ferrari has been making more F1 cars than Toyota - again, a volume = experience thing.

In terms of the idea itself, I think putting a turbo boxer engine into another boxer engined car is a great idea. Turbo engines also have more torque than NA engines. Heck, my Mazda MX6 2.2T from 1989 has a lot more torque than my Boxster! But again, who is going to donate their car to R&D? Not many, you will find. It's just pricey to play with at this point for most. But if you can get your hands on a dirt cheap one - maybe sold because it's engine is failing, then by all means go ahead. I know I would. Except here in Australia, even the oldest zero option vanilla Boxster still goes for around $45000AUD...

Just my $0.02.

[boardertj]

I talked to someone over at renegade hybrids in Las Vegas and they are working on a ej2xx conversion kit for the boxster. I was told that the project has not begun yet but they have a vehicle ready. They do lots of work with 914s and recently completed a ls1 swap into a 911! They do good work so if the kit is produced im sure it will be awesome. I doubt it will be done anytime soon but when it is I will try to post more information.

[Tool Pants]

Been Boxstering for 8 years and going to the local Porsche events.

Over the years, on the 914, I have seen everything from a rubber band to a Chevy V8 shoved in the engine compartment.

The Boxster has been around for 10 years. It is the next 914.

Now about that Corvette engine....

I agree the boxster will be the future 914.


There will always be purists, of which I'm not. I'd "bastardize" my box anyday if it gave me more power and kept that glorious music playing in the back.


The PERFECT transplant is the Buick GN TT. I've given it alot of thought. The most daunting part is keeping all nice Pcar electronics/creature comforts intact. Tranny adapter plate is not that hard I don't think. GN will easily pump 600hp without sneezing, with just bolt ons. Built GN's under $10k make over 1000 hp. The real problem would be overpowering the rest of the Pcar drivetrain, i.e., keeping the GN underpowered.


The essential layout is very close. If my box breaks, that's what I'll explore. I day dream of more power daily, and I want it for around 8k. No way is it worth it to me for a 3.4, 3.6, 3.8 transplant and pay silly money for it. But hey that's just me...


As it is, I feel the box is slightly underpowered especially considering 996 is making 8hp/liter more for no good reason. I feel a little bit cheated I didn't get my *missing* 25hp or so.

[boardertj]

600+ hp on a box just seems insane. Would this be on a daily driver?
I am lookin to do 450 or so on pump and 500 + on race gas.
driveshaft reinforcement may be needed.

[aren040]

Wow, I find it funny when I run into (insert marque here) supremacists.

For those that think the STi is some sort of monster. It is not. I was and still am a very active member of the Subaru world and am waiting to pick up a new body STi (09) for a daily driver. But they do have their share of problems. The weak point in the STi is the axles. For the WRX its the transmission. Also the STi is heavy and it has way too much weight in the front. The front overhang is huge and the engine sits in front of the front suspension causing under steer. Is all of this bad and will make the car be bad. No, for 30K you get an amazing car. It is fun, functional, and reliable.

I dont know, I guess it is just the way I am that I find idiotic stereotypes of cars funny. "Corvettes are for mullet having rednecks that try to compensate for their manhood." "Porsche's are for rich euro trash." "BMW's are for preppies." "Rice Burners".

To come down to it the Japanese have done an amazing job of competing in the automotive business. Could they make an uber car with amazing performance and awesome interiors? I am sure they can. I am also sure it will last many more miles than today's German cars. But the reality of it is sales. Top end sports cars dont generate enough revenue for them to come out and compete. The fact that they are Japanese and not German has a stigma to it that they should be cheaper as well. Hence the Acura RL, a wonderful car, not being able to sell. People just didn't want to pay 50K for a Honda when they could have a BMW for that price.

Although they are slowly getting over this stigma, and consequently the Korean manufacturers are going into it, there is still a long road to travel. With the reliability of the new German manufacturers going down the Japanese might be the new people to compete against just like the Germans were at one point.

Okay, I will stop rambling on now.

-aren