Skip to main content

Return of the 944? Porsche could add four-cylinder engine to line-up by 2016

Porsche four-cylinder Porsche has confirmed speculation that the carmaker is planning a new four-cylinder engine for its line-up but has stopped short of announcing an official launch date for the vehicle.

“It is no real secret that we are working on a four-cylinder engine. But it is still in an early development phase,” a Zuffenhausen-based Porsche official with knowledge of future product activities revealed to Autocar.  “On current planning, it will be another three years at least before we will be ready to reveal anything official on this subject.”

The unnamed source goes on to tell Autocar that a four –cylinder Porsche is not being planned for release before 2016. 

Seeking to provide consumers with a more entry-level vehicle, the new turbocharged four-cylinder direct-injection engine is expected to share the same architecture with the larger six-cylinder engine currently used in the Boxster,  Cayman and 911.

Porsche’s four-cylinder engine is expected to be featured first in the third-generation Boxster and the second-generation Cayman, which are both expected to be in dealerships in 2016, according to Autocar.

There was no word on if it will be called a 944 Turbo.

Marcus Amick
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Marcus Amick has been writing about the world of cars for more than ten years and has covered everything from new automobiles…
Alpine sale: Up to $160 off speakers and subs for your car
alpine speaker sale crutchfield march 2024 car and amp setup on table

If you’re looking to kit your car out with some superior speakers or a subwoofer, Crutchfield is the place to go today. Right now, there’s a huge sale on Alpine subwoofers and speakers with nearly 50 different items forming the sale. As there are so many options, the best idea is to hit the button below to see what’s around. If you don’t know where to start though, read on while we take you through some great items in the sale.

What to shop for in the Alpine sale
Buying the best aftermarket car speakers are important for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road and is currently dealing with a mediocre sound system. One good starting point in the Alpine sale is the 2-way speakers for $104 instead of $130. You get two 2-way speakers with a polypropylene/glass fiber/mica woofer with a specialized rubber surround. There’s a one-inch silk dome tweeter with speakers able to handle up to 80 watts RMS with 240 watts peak power. The grilles aren’t included but the factor ones should be fine for most purposes.

Read more
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more