The word “boxer” comes from the way the pistons move, which is similar to how a boxer strikes on a horizontal plane. Despite what the general public thinks, this engine did not originate in Porsche’s home country of Germany.
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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.
SERPRESULT
Subaru has only used the Subaru Boxer Engine in ALL of their vehicles for more than 45 years.
In 1948, Porsche GmbH produced the 356 as its first ever mass-produced automobile.
What do Porsche and Subaru cars have in common with the Boxer engine?
I’ve heard that Porsche produces the Subaru engine. Possibly exaggerated, but do a lot of the engine’s components actually have the Porsche brand? So says my mechanic, who I trust. The 3.0L variant of a Subaru Tribeca is the one I drive.
Although some flat-6 Subaru engine concepts were created by Porsche, all of them were constructed by Subaru, which is the fundamental source of the brand’s dependability.
The EJ series engines aren’t exactly dependable, lol, due to inadequate cooling, problems with the headgaskets, ringlands, spinning bearings, etc. Since the heads don’t align correctly with the block, headgaskets are purely poor QC and need to be machined to prevent the issue from occurring again. Leaning problems lead to ringlands, and piston slap results in a larger bore and shorter stroke. I could go on and on about how improper lubrication causes bearings to spin…
Does Porsche suffer from the same head gasket leak problems as Subaru? A 2001 Legacy Outback, a 2004 Impreza, and a 2009 Impreza Outback Sport are the three Subarus I’ve owned. At 99,000, 110000, and 120,000 miles, all experienced head gasket blowouts. You say the Boxer engine’s dependability is one of its advantages. Between head gaskets and timing belts, I don’t think so. And I also wonder why you choose to employ the V6 type engine instead of the more widely used straight 4 cylinders from Toyota, Honda, and other manufacturers, which have excellent endurance.
He has no idea what he is talking about; manufacture, not design, is to blame for the head gasket issues. I’ve been a technician for 48 years and have also owned a number of Subarus and Porsches. All flat engines are prone to leaks, but not head gasket issues, such as the ej22. One had hydraulic lifters and a much superior engine than the 2.5, which blew out every head gasket and required valve adjustments, and I still sold it after putting 250k miles on it. The buyer continued to drive it for another 2 or 3 years.
No. This is untrue; the names “Boxer” and “Flat” engines reflect their fundamental differences. In their current product lines, neither Porsche nor Subaru employ “Flat” engines (the last one was the true “Flat-12” Porsche 917 racecar). Porsche employs “Boxer” (4&6) engines in addition to various cylinder configurations.
Only Subaru uses “Boxer” (4&6) engines throughout its full product line.
A “Flat” engine, which is very similar to a 180 degree “V,” uses a crankpin for every pair of opposed cylinders, in contrast to the “Boxer” engine’s single crankpin per cylinder. As a result, the sound, journaling, balance, and firing order are all different.
g.o.o.h. The internals of a flat, boxer, pancake, and opposed cylinder engine have little to do with the 48-year-old mechanic’s ownership of numerous Subaru and Porsche vehicles.
Which Subarus are powered by Porsches?
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.
Is Porsche responsible for the boxer 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).
Does Subaru have the same engine as Porsche?
Subaru has dedicated more than 45 years to using the Subaru Boxer Engine exclusively in ALL of their products. The creative design is ingrained in Subaru’s DNA. Why aren’t more companies using it? Some of Porsche’s vehicles, such as the Boxster, Cayman, and 911, do this.
Does the Subaru WRX’s engine come from Porsche?
Yes, Subaru is the only automaker in the world to power every model in its lineup with a Subaru boxer engine. That means all models, including the flagship Impreza, WRX/STI, Legacy, and BRZ, as well as the Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek.
Why does Subaru use a boxer engine?
Because the movement of the engine’s pistons resembles the movement of a boxer’s fists in the horizontal plane, the “Boxer” engine got its name. The “Boxer” engine’s pistons move in opposite directions, as opposed to the boxer’s fists, which all move in the same way.
Porsche engines are either boxer or flat.
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.
How reliable are Subaru boxer engines?
Despite the fact that Subaru has experienced engine problems, the majority of these problems were restricted to a small number of engines, especially the EJs found in the Impreza, Forester, Legacy, Outback, and Baja models between 1996 and 2005. The FB series boxer engines are the most recent Subaru engines. In reliability testing, this engine series has performed well, and the FB20D in particular has received accolades for its dependability. Consumer Reports claims that it has performed exceptionally well over the past few years in its predicted reliability tests, receiving a majority of 5 out of 5 ratings in the Engine Major category, which takes into account major engine repairs like engine rebuilds or replacements, as well as cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, and timing chain or timing belt issues. Through a noticeable increase in the piston stroke, this engine was able to lower pollutants and improve fuel economy without sacrificing engine performance. The lighter pistons and rods in this engine also produce more torque. The FB20D boxer engine, the most recent Subaru boxer engine, also has the advantage of direct injection, which significantly boosts power and efficiency. Three of Subaru’s best-selling vehicles, the most recent Impreza, Outback, and Forester, all have the FB20D.
Who produces the Porsche engines?
Located at the Porsche Experience Center in Carson, California, just south of downtown Los Angeles, PMNA is a fully owned subsidiary of Porsche A.G. In addition to selling and maintaining customers’ racing vehicles, PMNA also constructs and rebuilds race engines for various Porsche vehicles. It will soon start producing Singer engines, but not the four-valve engine that Williams Advanced Engineering and I co-developed for the crazy DLS. Nicholson McLaren, a UK builder, will continue to make that.
1/10/22 2:30 PM Update: Of the original version of this article, Williams Advanced Engineering was credited with building the engine in Singer’s DLS. The engine is made by Nicholson McLaren but was designed with Williams.
Does Porsche use 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.”