It is almost guaranteed that Porsches will once again be powered 4 cylinder
engines, many years after they were last used. The Porsche board are thought to have
given approval or the new engine once they received assurances that only Porsche will be allowed to
use the newly designed boxer engine.
The entry level Boxster and Cayman could be powered by a 4 cylinder boxer
engine as soon as 2014 with the "Baby Boxster" also using the engine
when it reaches the showrooms in 2015 - other parts may be shared with the other VW Group models but the 2.5 engine will remain solely for Porsche's use.
The flat four (boxer) motor is expected to be quite potent when fitted in
the Boxster and Cayman, providing 350PS from a single turbo, it will provide
greater power and torque than the current flat six 2.7 litre engine currently used in
both models. Fuel consumption and emissions are also expected
to be better than the current 2.7 engine. The "Baby Boxster" will
most likely have a non-turbo version fitted, retaining the boxer sound and characteristics thus
differentiating it from the Audi and Volkswagen offerings.
Here at German Cars Blog we're looking forward to a free revving 4 cylinder
boxer powering a small entry level 2 seater similar to the 914 of old. An
increase in power for the base model Boxster and Cayman can also only be a good
thing!
The IAA in Frankfurt this year (2013) is expected to be the official unveiling
of the latest 4 cylinder in Porsche’s history, more pointers towards the “Baby
Boxster” are also expected.
For the 1989 IAA in Frankfurt Volkswagen gave their IRVW 4 its debut, the
concept car was more commonly known to the press and public as the Futura.
Designed to show what motoring in the year 2000 would be like it was received
with usual mixture of hype, excitement and cynicism.
Now that we're well and truly into the 21st century it's worth looking back
to see how good Volkswagen's crystal ball really was.....
A car goes nowhere without an engine and the Futura had the earliest
incarnation of a VW direct injection petrol engine, the1700cc engine wouldn't
be out of place in any car today - although the meagre 82PS shows how much development
has been undertaken in the passing 23 years.
Electronic brake distribution and electronic power steering were also key
features of the Futura; once again these are common place in the 2013 motoring
world. So far the crystal ball seems to be on top form!
In 1989 a magical Park Assist system set the tongues of the motoring world
wagging, after all who would want such a system and it would never work in the
real world would it? Most drivers might not need the system (some certainly
do!) but it's available on a selection of models and - as yet - no stories of
cars running amok have surfaced. The Park Assist system also provided the
Futura the benefit of parking sensors too, a feature seen on virtually every
model from every manufacturer these days. Yet more successful gazing into the
future by the Futura designers...
Colour digital information displays are old hat in 2013 but they were
considered items of wonder in 1989, easy to understand when you think
Volkswagen's Golf was still only in its mark 2 form... With an integrated Sat
Nav and mobile phone system the Futura would certainly not look out of place in
a dealership or on the road in 2013.
Not everything on the Futura has made it into production, gull wing doors
are still exotic, white dashboards are rare, sound compensating systems haven't
become common place and seats that can be transformed into child seats are only
just being put into mass production. The high tech CD music system of the
Futura would look sadly out of place in a current car; technology has already
left the CD floundering in its wake - something the designers of the Futura
were unable to foresee.
Clearly not everything on the Futura is now available throughout the
Volkswagen range but all the really remarkable features (in the eyes of 1989
motorists) are readily available in 2013.
It is easy to write concept cars off as styling and PR exercises but if you
look back at them not all are as worthless as they may first seem.
