Nearly every week now you can find new information on in-coming Porsche models featuring their new forced induction engines. The change only affecting the non GT models which does leave a nice taste in our mouths, knowing the screaming natural aspirated flat 6 to still power the GT4, GT3 and GT3RS!
So what Porsches have been green-lit and are coming out with a Turbo now? The Boxster, Boxster S, Cayman, Cayman S, Carrera, Carrera S, and Carrera GTS.
So what do we know? The refreshed 2016 Porsche 911 range, dubbed ‘991.2’ by Stuttgart, has been given an early preview this last week through official new photos.
It is clear however that the 2016 911 will wear a lightly revised look at both ends, with masking in place on these prototypes to obscure the finer details.
Subtly refreshed headlight and LED daytime light components can’t be seen however, and a new rear bumper also exposes a new exhaust design with the tips mounted more closely together.
These shots also reveal a new 918-inspired steering wheel which also adds a driving mode selector with four options. Expect Porsche’s new-generation Communication Management infotainment system to also appear, making the leap from the revised Cayenne range.
This update is expected to be less about styling and more about mechanical changes, however, with new reports out of Europe again pointing to a new turbocharging strategy across most of the 911 line-up.
According to the UK’s Auto Express, an unnamed Porsche spokesperson has again confirmed earlier reports that the range’s 3.4 and 3.8 litre engines will be dropped in favour of smaller turbocharged units in most models, with only the hero GT3 to continue with a larger naturally-aspirated mill.
Efficiency and emissions are the driving factors behind the downsizing, but Porsche is also expected to dial up the power outputs in its new engines by between 15kW to 22kW beyond the units they’ll replace.
That will mean figures close to 280kW for entry-end models, and greater than 325kW for the likes of the Carrera GTS.
The updated 911 range is expected to debut in September at the Frankfurt motor show, with an Australian market launch set for early 2016.
So - What about the new Boxster and Cayman?
The 2016 facelift for the Porsche Boxster has been spotted by our photographers outside the company’s headquarters in Zuffenhausen, Germany.
While the visual updates are quite mild, more dramatic changes are being wrought under the skin. The updated Boxster and Cayman models will be powered almost exclusively by a suite of turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder petrol engines.
A British publication believes that the base Boxster and Cayman models will have a 2.0-litre turbo engine slung across the middle of the car and powering the rear wheels. The base models will have about 178kW to play with; the current car has a 2.7-litre flat-six with 195kW of power.
In the step-up Boxster S and Cayman S there will be a larger turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine with around 224kW of power. At present, the S models feature a 3.4-litre six-cylinder boxer engine with 232kW of power.
At the top of the regular range will be the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS, both of which will use a 275kW version of the 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer four. A 243kW version of the 3.4-litre flat-six powers the current GTS
If this report proves to be accurate, the changes to the Boxster and Cayman lineup will mirror a similar move for the 911 range, which will shift to smaller turbocharged six-cylinder engines for all its regular non-GT models when the facelifted car is revealed at this year’s Frankfurt motor show..
It’s believed that only the special edition models, such as the GT4, that will continue to have six-cylinder motivation. Porsche will also, reportedly, allow some markets to price the Cayman coupe beneath the Boxster convertible.
The revised Boxster and Cayman ranges are expected to debut some time in 2016.
Source: caradvice.com.au