The second generation Porsche Boxster that's due sometime in 2011 will feature a new base model equipped with a fuel efficient four-cylinder engine according to a report from UK's Autocar magazine citing company insiders. The last 4-cylinder Porsche was the 1990s 968 which was the final model in an evolving line that started in the mid-1970s with the introduction of the 924 and continued with the 944. But unlike the 968 that was equipped with one of the largest four bangers ever to be offered in a production car with a displacement of 3.0-liters, the next-generation Boxster's straight-four is expected to be quite smaller, featuring a displacement of 2.0 to 2.4-liters.
The report states that the entry-level Boxster's petrol unit will most likely be turbocharged delivering an output of over 200HP. Not exactly the kind of power you'd expect from a Porsche but company insiders insist that the new Boxster will be significantly lighter than the current model thus compensating for the smaller output.
The million dollar question is of course whether Porsche will develop the engine in-house from scratch or if the German sports carmaker will take advantage of its tie-up with the VW - Audi Group using the company's 2.0 TFSI unit as a base - just as it did with the Cayenne and the ill-fated 924.
Either way, the main reason that Porsche is looking into the development of a smaller engine for the Boxster and quite possibly for the Cayman replacement has to do with the stricter CO2 emission regulations that are going in force in several key markets around the world.
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