Porsche Sports Cars getting 4-cylinder turbo engines

Porsche has confirmed that 4-cylinder turbocharged flat four boxer engines will arrive in its sports cars in 2016, initially in the Cayman and Boxster.

Porsche hasn’t really flirted with four-cylinder engines for a generation, but with every car maker looking to downsize cylinders and bring in forced induction to cut emissions and improve economy, Porsche has to play too.

In truth, Porsche has already started down the 4-pot route with the 2.0 litre turbo version of the Macan, although that uses an engine that can be traced back to the Golf , whereas the plan for Porsche Sports Cars is a new 4-cylinder flat four boxer engine.

It seems probable Porsche will offer the new engine as a 2.0 litre and a 2.5 litre, with a variety of outputs, and the most potent expected to deliver up to 400bhp.

The initial plans are to fit the new engines to the Boxster and Cayman , but assuming that doesn’t see Porsche anoraks going elsewhere for their adrenalin fix, it also seems highly likely we’ll see a four-cylinder in the entry-level 911 before too long.

There’s no word yet on which markets will get the new engines, but Europe and China are a given, even if the US is going to be a harder sell.