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

By Marcus Amick Published April 10, 2013

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.”

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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.

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Marcus Amick has been writing about the world of cars for more than ten years and has covered everything from new automobiles…

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