Boxster Turbo Coming… But Not How You Think

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Apr 10, 2011 | 03:58 PM

IIVVX

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Boxster Turbo Coming… But Not How You Think

Boxster Turbo Coming… But Not How You Think | The Truth About Cars

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HPRbFdwAeA

Last edited by DJ; Apr 10, 2011 at 06:36 PM. Reason: Added some video :-)