A New 4-Cylinder 911?

Porsche is ready to introduce four-cylinders into its vehicles – perhaps even the 911- if demand for greener products continues to grow.

Thomas Krickelberg, a powertrain engineer for the company, dropped the hint at the Australian introduction of the new 2009 Porsche 911 lineup. The 3.6 and 3.8-liter flat-sixes, he said, were redesigned with four-cylinder adaptation in mind. Should Porsche decide smaller engines are necessary, it will not need to invest much in time or engineering to produce them.

Porsche has a history of using four-cylinder engines, most notably in its iconic 356 and later its 924 models, but never in the 911(????). The company has more recently focused on going bigger, namely with Cayenne SUV and the upcoming Panamera sedan. But rising social and political calls for fuel efficiency seem to be influencing a change in direction.

Of course this raises the question: would a four-cylinder engine in a Porsche 911 or even a Boxster be sacrilege? Or is this merely the next logical step for a brand that has considerably expanded its lineup in recent years? Let us know what you think.

Source: www.drive.com.au