Porsche Ponders A Return Of The 4-Cylinder

[William Maley]

Porsche Ponders A Return Of The 4-Cylinder

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

September 10, 2011

The last time Porsche offered a 4-Cylinder in any of their vehicles was the 968, which left the US after the 1995 model year. Since then, the smallest engine you could get was a 2.7L, now 2.9L flat-six used in the Boxster and Cayman. Now, Porsche is back at work developing a new four-cylinder engines.

Autoweek is reporting that high ranking officials from Porsche’s Weissach research and development center in Germany say the company is hard at work on a new family of horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engines. The engines, expected to come in a 2.0L and 2.5L forms will share certain traits with the larger flat-six engines. The four-cylinders are expected to come with turbochargers and direct-injection.

The engines are expected to be placed into a new entry-level, mid-engine sports car that sources inside Porsche say its a spiritual successor the famed 550 Spider. The engines will also find a home in the Boxster and Cayman.

Source: Autoweek