These engines are technically known as horizontally opposed, but people often refer to them as “boxer” engines because of how closely the horizontal movement of the pistons mimics a boxer’s fists.
Because they are shorter in height than inline and V-type engines, they are sometimes known as “flat” or “pancake” engines. Engineers claim that by lowering the center of gravity of boxer engines, a vehicle’s handling is enhanced. One disadvantage of boxer engines is that, in contrast to, say, an inline four-cylinder that is more upright, access to some components for mechanics may be limited.
Only Porsche, Subaru, and Toyota currently sell “boxers” in their vehicles. Boxer engines have been standard in Porsche 911s since the beginning, and the current lineup includes several six-cylinder variations (or flat-sixes). Four-cylinder boxers are included in the Porsche 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, and 718 Spyder (flat-fours).
All of the contemporary Subaru engines have four cylinders and are horizontally opposed. A flat-four Subaru engine is also used by the Toyota 86, a mechanical twin of the Subaru BRZ.
Regardless of whether a boxer engine has four or six cylinders, each piston moves simultaneously inward and outward with half of them facing one way and the other.
In This Article...
Porsche First Used The Boxer Engine System When?
Throughout its history, the Boxer engine has been linked to the Porsche name.
The boxer-four engine for the Volkswagen Beetle was actually created by Ferdinand Porsche, the creator of Porsche, before he left to join Porsche AG.
The air-cooled boxer-four engine of the 1948–1965 Porsche model was comparable to the one in the VW Beetle.
Since its founding in 1948, Porsche has employed the flat-four engine or its sibling form, the flat-six engine, in the majority of its sports cars. While the 911 models have flat-six engines, the Boxster and Cayman models have flat-four boxer engines. Surprisingly, since Porsche began making 911 models in 1964, there has never been a 911 model with an engine layout other than a flat-six.
The Boxer engine, commonly referred to as the flat engine, takes its name from the piston movement.
The horizontally opposed pistons move simultaneously inward and outward, giving the impression of two professional boxers trading blows.
Porsche has designed many of its vehicles with Boxer engines over the years.
Porsche has created variations of the Boxer engine in the past for various uses. There were the flat-eight engines that the business created in the 1960s for its racing teams. The Porsche 904 Formula One car and the Porsche 908 sports car are two examples of vehicles that utilized the boxer engine variable.
The Porsche 917 sports vehicle had a flat-twelve boxer engine and was produced from 1969 to 1973.
Flat-six Porsche engine
The Porsche flat-six engine series is a line of mechanically comparable flat-sixboxer engines that have been produced by Porsche since 1963 for almost 60 years without interruption. The flat-fourboxer utilized in the first Volkswagen Beetle has been evolved into the current engine.
The 911 model, Porsche’s flagship rear-engined sports car that has only employed flat-six engines since 1963, is most frequently associated with the flat-six engine. Up until 1999, when Porsche began using water-cooled engines, the engines were air-cooled.
Porsche unveiled the third iteration of the 997 GT3 RS in April 2011 with a larger 4.0-liter engine that produces 500 PS (368 kW; 493 hp). With their 911 (997) GT3 RS 4.0, which debuted in 2011, they debuted the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine, the largest engine available in a street-legal 911. The engine itself makes use of an RSR crankshaft with larger stroke specifications (from 76.4 mm to 80.4 mm). A power-to-weight ratio of 365 horsepower per ton was achieved thanks to this modification, which increased the output to 500 PS (368 kW; 493 hp) at 8,250 rpm and 460 Nm (339 lbft) of torque at 5,750 rpm. There were just 600 automobiles made. The engine’s 493 horsepower (368 kW) and 123.25 horsepower (92 kW) per liter output make it one of the most potent six-cylinder naturally aspirated engines in a production vehicle.
The 1970–1972 Porsche 914/6 (mid-engine), the 1986–1993 Porsche 959 (rear-engine), and the 1996–2021 Porsche Boxster/Cayman are further Porsche models powered by flat–six engines (mid-engine).
Here’s How Subaru And Porsche Improved The Boxer Engine
The arrangement has advantages and limitations that occur naturally, but Porsche and Subaru have managed to get around these drawbacks.
It’s not surprising that the final mass-production boxer engine users are Porsche and Subaru. Interestingly, the way a professional boxer strikes is where the idea of a boxer engine comes from. The community refers to these as “Flat engines” because of the horizontal movement and flattened pistons.
The arrangement has advantages and limitations that occur naturally, but Porsche and Subaru have managed to get around these drawbacks. Subaru is more of an approachable vehicle, whereas Porsche caters to a distinct audience.
Both of them face difficulties; one is a brand that focuses on volume, and the other is a luxury sports car manufacturer. Despite their differences, we’ll talk about how Porsche and Subaru were able to overcome several obstacles to develop the boxer engine. Until both automakers switch to totally electric vehicles, which won’t be long from now, both will use these engines.
August 2022 update: The two automakers that have persisted the longest in producing the prestigious boxer engine are also two of the most entertaining. More details about Porsche and Subaru’s dedication to improving this engine design are now included in this article’s update.
How Subaru and Porsche Overcome These Difficulties
These flaws are primarily responsible for flat engines’ rarity on consumer cars, which are predominately front-engined. It’s difficult to understand why maintenance costs would be a problem for more expensive devices that were supplied to wealthy customers in small quantities. The Dubai-based W Motors, whose vehicles use low-mounted Porsche flat-six engines and are already so ridiculously costly that they put diamonds in the Lykan Hypersport’s headlamps, made it very plain that price was not an issue.
With a rear-engined design, the boxer-six is typically used in Porsche vehicles, where its width is not an issue. The Boxster and Cayman, which are capable and less expensive than the 911, remain an open subject. Up until recently, both models were devoid of turbochargers due to space restrictions. Instead of using two turbochargers and intercoolers, as is the case with 911s, the new flat-four in the Boxster is a scaled-down version of the flat-six. This indicates that the flat-six was probably used since the firm was familiar with the engine and wanted to avoid developing a brand-new powerplant from scratch.
Because Porsche and Subaru have accumulated so much expertise and tooling for the platform, they probably continue to produce boxer engines. Once you’ve been conducting business a certain way for so long, familiarity and economies of scale start to pay off. More crucially, Subaru uses all-wheel drive (AWD) in nearly all of its vehicles, eliminating the common issue of a boxer engine’s need for an excessively complicated transmission to function efficiently in a front-wheel-drive vehicle.
Soul and Heart
The boxer engine family is completed by the brand-new Porsche 911 Turbo S. With two VTG turbochargers, the newcomer joins a lengthy and famous pantheon of predecessors. It embodies the zeal and fervor, intelligence and know-how of more than 70 years of sports vehicle creation.
All of Porsche’s modern four- and six-cylinder boxer engines have the genetic codes 9A2 and 9A2 evo. They stand for a flexible system of identical, conceptually related, and independent elements that, when combined, constitute a tried-and-true base but also leave room for a wide range of various personality traits. A quick glance at the available options ably demonstrates the point: four or six cylinders, naturally aspirated or turbo, between two and four liters of displacement, from 250 to 640 hp of power, and torques between 310 and 800 Nm (911 Turbo S: Fuel consumption combined 11.1 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 254 g/km).
Is the boxer engine in the Subaru a Porsche?
The word “boxer” comes from the way the pistons move, which is similar to how a boxer strikes on a horizontal plane. Contrary to popular perception, although this engine was born in Germany, it was not developed by Porsche.
Does Porsche utilize VW motors?
Among these synergies is the provision of Porsche components to sibling companies. Other brands may use the Panamera platform for conceptual or under development vehicles, according to Macht.
Macht responded that the 911 platform “might be made available to other VW brands” when asked if it was also on the table. But Porsche won’t employ any other VW Group engines save the V6 in the Cayenne. Macht stated that “engine development is a basic value for Porsche.”
Porsche is now focusing on weathering the global recession after its failed effort to acquire VW. The company aimed for annual sales of 150,000 cars prior to the credit crunch. However, sales this year are down 24% to little over 75,000. With its three core model families—the Cayenne, Panamera, and 911/Boxster—Porsche will make an effort to achieve its initial aim, but it is also considering additional range expansions.
“Any brand-new model would need to be upscale, athletic, and have a strong financial case. Porsche must be the most expensive, top-quality, and capable of providing the best driving experience in any segment “explained Macht.
The Panamera’s 1800kg kerb weight is low for its market segment, making it an ideal candidate for efficiency improvements. There will be a six-cylinder Panamera available next year, and eventually there will be a hybrid and a diesel Panamera as well.
Porsche has also considered building an electric vehicle. According to Macht, “it would have to have the same maneuverability, performance, acceleration, and range as a conventional Porsche.”
“The current state of technology is incompatible with Porsche’s needs. At least two years will pass before the technology is up to par.”
What kind of motor does Porsche employ?
It is now the fourth generation. The Panamera’s new top engines were developed using Porsche’s forty years of experience with eight-cylinder V-engines.
Each generation was created to be a high-performance powerhouse, a compelling history. With these engines, the 928 and Cayenne, Panamera, and 918 Spyder achieved superior driving performance and developed into the sportiest vehicles at the top of their respective segments.
On July 8, 1986, exactly 40 years ago, a brand-new Porsche sports car that had just been developed rolled out of the Weissach research center for the first time without camouflage. Under the hood was an eight-cylinder engine with cylinders positioned 90 degrees from one another in the shape of a V, which had never been used before by Porsche. It’s true that Porsche had already produced eight-chamber engines in the 1960s and 1970s. They were only utilized in race cars, had a flat engine layout, and were air-cooled. A separate function was served by the water-cooled V-engine. It was created to power the Porsche 928, the first Gran Turismo and third model line, beginning in 1977.
Does Subaru produce engines for Porsche?
The flat-four was utilised by Porsche GmbH in 1948 to create the 356—its first ever manufacturing car. Subaru debuted its first boxer engine in the tiny Subaru 1000 in 1966, and it has been in use ever since. The only automakers using the style today are Subaru and Porsche.