2016
Porsche Cayman facelift
Porsche is preparing to
return four-cylinder power to its sports car line-up for the first time since
the 968 ceased production in 1995 in facelifted versions of the
third-generation Boxster and second-generation Cayman, both earmarked to make
their debut at next year’s Geneva motor show prior to the start of UK
sales.
The new turbocharged
four-cylinder engine is planned to be used by the Boxster and Cayman in place
of the existing naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine in a move that's set to
provide price-leading versions of the roadster and coupé pairing with added
performance and reduced fuel consumption.
Details remain scarce
less than six months out from its unveiling, although insiders at Porsche’s
R&D facility on the outskirts of Stuttgart have revealed that the new
turbocharged engine shares its horizontally opposed design and crucial elements
of its architecture, including its 500 cc individual cylinder capacity, with the
larger twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit recently unveiled in the
facelifted 911.
This indicates that
early variants of the new four-cylinder powerplant will likely boast a capacity
of around 2.0 litres – some 700 cc less than the entry level 2.7-litre six-cylinder
currently used by the Boxster and Cayman.
Nothing is official,
although the new engine is expected to exceed the 271 bhp and 214 lb-ft outputs
of the existing six-cylinder in its initial state of tune, with more heavily
tuned variants running added turbocharger boost pressure set for introduction
later on, according to sources.
Caught here undergoing
final testing ahead of its debut, the facelifted Cayman sports a new front
bumper assembly featuring a revised design with altered cooling ducts and
indicator units, as well as updated internal headlight graphics. Further stylistic
changes to the two-seat coupé include a revised rear bumper and lightly altered
tail-light graphics.
Inside, the 2016
model-year Cayman is expected to adopt a new steering wheel along with an
updated Porsche Communication Management system featuring a 7.0-inch touchscreen
monitor with Google Earth and Google Street View-supported navigation, WLAN
connectivity and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
Source : Autocar
