Boxster Turbo Coming… But Not How You Think
It’s long been gospel among Porsche aficionados that Zuffenhausen will never turbocharge its mid-engined offerings, for fear they might wipe the road with the brand’s rear-engined flagship, the 911. But apparently the stricture against forced-induction Boxsters and Caymans only extends to the current generation. When the next round of mid-engined Porsches arrive in 2012, a turbocharged engine will definitely be offered… but only as the base model.
Yes, Porsche’s brand-new flat-four, which will power the brand’s new entry-level “baby boxster,” will be offered in turbocharged form as the base engine for the next-gen Boxster/Cayman making up to 365 horsepower. A downsized six-cylinder could be optional, and Auto Motor und Sport even caught a next-gen Boxster stopping at BMW’s “Development and Innovation Center,” fueling speculation that a BMW-derived hybrid system (possibly derived from the i8/i3 models) could be in the works as well (per Porsche’s promise).
Now, the 911 currently makes 345 in its base form, so it will need more power to keep a 365 HP Cayman Turbo from breathing down its neck. On the other hand, if the “baby boxster” is getting the same flat four, the next-gen Cayman/Boxster will need to have near-911 turbo power to differentiate itself from its little sibling, which itself will need to differentiate itself from the Audi R4 and and VW BlueSport versions of the same mid-engine platform. Maybe, just maybe, Porsche will allow a little more internal competition for the sake of a wider corporate differentiation strategy.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
Comments
Join the conversation
The mandated superiority of the 911 gets really frustrating some times. Didn't the hotter versions of the 944 Turbo encroach on The One True Porsche at the time? Now the mid engine platform(s) are purposely restrained from their potential. I suppose this approach helps maintain the 911 mystique, but come on, folks. If they have to fight so many times over the years to protect the 911's performance position, maybe somebody's trying to tell them that they could do even better if they gave up on that idea.
Ah, the famous gas station in Arjeplog, in the north of Sweden. What a familiar sight. Without the testers, he would be long gone.
The turbo H-4 is probably all the engine and HP anyone will really need in the real world. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to obsessively checking the Dinan website for a rollout of a Stage II ECU reflash kit for the N55 in my 135i.....
Aren't all fours flat?