Six into Boxster doesn t go Porsche s junior sports cars will switch to turbocharged fours from 2016

CORE BOXSTERS AND Caymans will adopt fourcylinder power in 2016, as Porsche radically reinvents the line-up. The Cayman’s price will be cut, as it becomes the entry-level car positioned below its drop-top sibling. Porsche has been working on fourcylinder opposite-piston engines for years, but the time has come for the new boxers to come out punching. The advanced directinjection design is believed to make do with only one fixed-vane turbocharger. It means the end of the 2.7-litre six in today’s base Boxster and Cayman. The new entry level coupe gets a 2.0-litre flat-four with around 186kW, while the Cayman S’s 2.5 turbo should top 224kW. With its elevated positioning, expect the Boxster to get more power. Given those early Cayman figures look down on poke compared with the outgoing cars, engineers will have been focused on taking weight out beyond that from losing two cylinders. R&d claim the four-pots surprisingly best the six on performance, driveability and engine noise, as well as naturally posting superior economy. The next GTS edition would also have four cylinders, but its 276kW would eclipse today’s output by around 22kW. That said, any future GT4 and the mooted GT4 RS would retain their six-cylinder spice. Marketing believe the price cut will boost awareness and sales – assuming customers aren’t wedded to the idea of a six