Porsche Boxster to receive Audi engine treatment?
June 17, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Porsche is reportedly considering a down-scale move in order to combat slowing sales, and growing debt, by introducing an all-new base model to the range.
The idea is that the Porsche badged “budget” model would feature the same 2.0-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine as found in the current Audi TTS and would be based on either the current Boxster, or possibly even the Volkswagen BlueSport Concept.
Though using a “lesser” engine might seem like a step in the wrong direction for the team from Stuttgart, the Boxster would actually benefit from the transplant with an increase in power of some 7.5 kilowatts over the current engine. It would also see a price decrease of some A$16,000.
Discussions are said to be ongoing between Porsche and Audi regarding the use of this engine in the Boxster though to protect the marque, it’s possible a new, entry-level model could be created based on Volkswagen’s BlueSport roadster.
Although nothing is set in concrete we do know Porsche has been left with quite a bit of debt following its attempt to purchase VW and such a model would certainly fill a hole.
Print it: 
it was to be expected as The Audi group is all conquering and would have eventually put their foot in Porsches development plans. Well its probably going to help porsche.
Please Porsche don’t do this…..keep your pride and don’t lower yourself to the ‘budget’ model. European cars should be something that you strive for and reward yourself with, if Porsche had any b@lls they would stop producing the boxter series. These cars allow people who have no right owning a Porsche a chance to buy on 2nd hand with 100kms on the clock. If Porsche does this, I will lose all my respect for the Germans and will only have my beautiful memories of when this nation was once proud and grand.
Don’t do it!!! The boxer engine is a unique part of the Porsche DNA, and this is a mid/rear layout. I cant see how using an inline four is going to benefit its balance and weight distribution, it’s not as if the layout is the same as the last time Porsche used an Audi engine in its base model, the 924.
Do you reckon they could lay the VW engine flat? Btw, audi tts has 5-cylinder.
I think it’s a good move. It will definitely help Porsche. Nice strategy to increase sales.
Ben Richards: So Porsche produces two consecutive brand diluting abominations in the form of the Cayenne and Panamera; then proposes a light weight, fun and more affordable porsche and THATS what will make you lose respect for them? right…
Ben Richard’s is right…
The only true Porsche is a 911.
Anyone who drives any other Porsche just tells me you can’t afford the real thing.
Although, didn’t the Audi RS6 wagon use a Porsche engine back in the 90’s?
Porche went through this in the 70’s and early 80’s bulding those horid front engine things and then the wierd thing that looked like a ute crossed with a John Deer ride on lawn mower (Ikara??).
I guess when your in a financial mess, this is better than being declared bankrupt. Maybe they should move production to South Korea. Half the Cardvice bloggers would have trouble spelling Korea when they write in bagging the Porsche Korean factories quality before they had built the first car!
i dont think they will put it in boxster,as it would cost to much to fabricate in the mid mounted eng bay thats designed for a boxer engine!!!, but may see it in a cheaper model 2 seat coupe they are planning. Could make sense for around $70-$80k..
This will devalue the Boxster name, but then again Porker have no class anymore, FAR to common, they relise this and might as well flood the market with cheaper.
Just better making a complete new model, VW should have something in the bin that they could salvage.
Its 924 days all over again!!
Cheers
F-0
I actually quite like the idea because I am really sick of everybody going on about the Boxster being a hairdressers car. It’s not. In fact it’s the best roadster money can buy even with the smaller engine. This one will have no real Porsche DNA and will only be bought by people wanting a convertible with a very expensive badge. This one really would be a hairdresser’s car because all that would be making it a Porsche is the badge and the designers. I have no doubt that it would be fantastic and impressive but it would be the real first not-a-real-Porsche. I think that all this would do is give the Boxster some very much deserved class. People who want the badge (and currently buy Boxsters) will buy this and people who want great little sports cars will buy the Boxster.
I am so very sick of hearing people say that you only buy a Boxster or a Cayman because you can’t afford a 911. I personally would rather a Cayman S over a 911 (unless it was a GT3) so you know what I want to hear and see everywhere when this comes out? Poor mans Boxster.
I just want to add something – Why should the 911 be the only “real” Porsche? I am writing here comparing to the Boxster and the Cayman, not this proposed cheaper model, but the fact is that to many people the name 911 sticks out as the real Porsche. Why? It wasn’t the original and the fact is that although it’s still immensely impressive, it’s gotten fat and heavy over the years. The GT3 is the best obviously but that’s not what people are buying. All the sales go to the Carrera and the Carrera S. The original 911 was smaller than the Cayman is now and for purists going on about the 911 “being the only real Porsche and the others are only there because you can’t afford a 911″ well hey, what if we don’t want 911s? I don’t. As I wrote, they’ve gotten massive and fat.
My point is that you can’t go on about the 911 being the only real Porsche and the only one worth while when it’s lost touch from the original as much as the Cayenne lost touch from the brand.
If it was a 911 we were talking about then it would be a different story but the Boxster (as outstanding as it is) was never a choice for the purists anyway. It’s pretty much 911 or nothing for most Porsche fans.
Alex. We could argue for days about this but since you asked…..
->Porsche 911 still resembles the original
->Original 911 design was inspired by the Type 84
->Type 84 is argued to be the original Porsche
^^^^^^SUPPLY & DEMAND
The origonal 911 is a incarnation of the 356 which based heavily on a VW Bettle which was copied off the Czech’s brand of Tatra by Dr.Porsche under Hitlers instructions!
Hope you enjoyed the history lesson!
Cheers
F-0
Supply & Demand, I was mainly commenting on the 911 because of comments submitted by Ben Richards and Elitist.
I do find it interesting that the only similarity you can think of to tie the current 911 to the original is design.
So you’d like to drive an air-cooled supercar Alex?
i think this is a consequence of the VW/piech/wiedeking/hedge fund thing
weren’t ferrari about to make a new Dino as well (eg. a $200k Ferrari)
this is hardly surprising – what Rolls Royce are making a ‘budget’ BMW 750iL based limo too
with a basic Boxster already well above $120k i would suppose they could do some damage in the $70k end battling it out with Nissan (again!) and the other Germans
i’m thinking more of the US/Europe market – by the time it hits our shores the savings aren’t that great
It is sad to see how far porsche has fallen in only around 12 months.
They already shot themselves in the foot throwing away billions on nothing more than their own ego trip trying to take over VW.
They might as well shoot themselves in the other foot by taking the porsche DNA out of their cars – what would be the point of buying a porsche?
They might be able to get away with making a 4 door sedan to take on Mercedes S Class but a porsche with out a porsche motor isn’t a porsche (its a cayenne)
What next front wheel drive?
BMW will love this now their previously ugly duckling Z4 is now actually attractive.
Not a good idea. Putting an engine from a lesser brand than BMW or Mercedes would devalue Porsche. The Cayenne is bad enough, stop right there!