Next-generation Porsche Boxster and Cayman will offer both electric and ICE powertrains after Porsche backtracked on EV-only plansThe ICE variant will feature a six-cylinder hybrid system similar to the latest 911 GTS, replacing the current turbocharged four-cylinder engineThe current 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo won't be upgraded for Euro 7 compliance, marking the end of four-cylinder power in Porsche's mid-engine sports cars Right. Porsche has just made a decision that will delight purists and infuriate accountants in equal measure. The next-generation Boxster and Cayman, Porsche's entry-level mid-engine sports cars that have been making do with turbocharged four-cylinder engines for far too long, are getting a proper six-cylinder hybrid powertrain. Hallelujah. Porsche six-cylinder hybrid specifications According to recent reports from Autocar, the ICE variant of the new Boxster and Cayman will feature a hybrid powertrain similar to the system found in the latest Porsche 911 GTS. This is significant. The 911 GTS hybrid uses a turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six engine paired with an electric motor integrated into the gearbox, producing a combined 541 horsepower. It's properly fast, more efficient than a pure combustion engine, and crucially, it still sounds like a Porsche should. A dapting this system for the Boxster and Cayman means Porsche's entry-level sports cars will likely feature a six-cylinder petrol engine paired with a hybrid system. The exact displacement and power output remain unclear, but we can make educated guesses. The current 911 GTS hybrid produces 541 horses, so the Boxster and Cayman versions might be detuned slightly to maintain product hierarchy, perhaps landing somewhere between 450 and 500 horsepower combined. That's a significant jump from the current models. More importantly, it also means the current 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit is being put out to pasture. Porsche has apparently decided it's not worth upgrading this engine to comply with Euro 7 emissions regulations, which is the automotive equivalent of your employer deciding you're not worth the training investment and bringing in someone better qualified. The four-cylinder Boxster and Cayman have always been a compromise. Porsche introduced the four-pot engines in 2016 with the 718 designation, ditching the beloved naturally aspirated flat-six that had powered these cars since their inception. The move made sense from an efficiency and emissions standpoint, but it fundamentally changed the character of these sports cars. The four-cylinder engines are torquey and efficient, but they don't sound right. They lack the aural magic of the flat-six, that distinctive mechanical howl that makes every tunnel an opportunity and every mountain pass a symphony.
