There have been rumours about a four-cylinder Porsche Boxster and Cayman for a while now. Some sources have even talked about a new entry level model with a four-cylinder unit, kind of a successor to the 914.
The last time Porsche offered a four-cylinder petrol engine was in the 968 back in 1995.
The first new Porsche to get the four-cylinder engine after close to 2 decades will be the recently unveiled Macan, which from launch is available with a 258bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel, 340bhp 3.0-litre V6 and a 400bhp 3.6-litre V6.
Dr Thomas Casper, manager of transmission and drivetrain development told Auto Express: “I can’t tell you the exact month, but sometime in 2014, perhaps at the end.”
The diesel unit is a 2.0-litre TDI from VW, while the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol with horizontally opposed pistons is developed by Porsche.
Dr. Casper also told the sound the engine makes is a “top priority,” and the four-cylinder Macan will still be a “proper Porsche”.
The entry level turbo petrol is expected to produce around 280bhp and is very likely to make it later to the Boxster and Cayman as well.