Porsche’s revolutionary new 6-Stroke Engine Before we dive into Porsche’s bold new design, let’s remind ourselves how an engine works. Most petrol-powered (i.e. proper) cars today use a 4-stroke engine. These engines follow a simple cycle: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. During the intake stroke, air and fuel are sucked into the cylinder where they are compressed. Then the power stroke ignites the fuel and forces the piston down. Finally, the exhaust stroke clears out the remaining gases. It’s all very complex, yet it’s been the loveable power source of most cars for the last century. Porsche, however, decided four strokes was never going to be enough. So the introduction of a 6-stroke engine adds two additional steps. After the initial power stroke, the engine compresses the air-fuel mixture again, followed by an additional power stroke. There’s a specially designed crankshaft that rotates on a ring with two concentric circles, creating varying stroke lengths. This allows the pistons to reach two different 'bottom-dead-centre' points, leading to two compression strokes and two power strokes instead of just one. The result? More combustion cycles. Not only does this improve fuel efficiency but amazingly, it draws in more air for cleaner combustion. Oh and most importantly it produces more power. Which for us as petrolheads, is music to our ears. It reminds us that despite the world shifting to EV obsession, the sound, feel and rawness of a combustion engine is irreplaceable. The problems with a 6-Stroke Engine Of course, no revolutionary design is perfect and Porsche’s 6-stroke engine is no exception. Sure on paper it sounds wonderful but this added complexity could make the engine more prone to mechanical failures. Secondly given the move to EVs, petrol engines are now more expensive to produce and maintain than ever before. Imagine how much it's going to cost Porsche to develop a 6-stroke and subsequently how much more we as consumers will have to pay. Not to mention the increased number of moving parts will result in pricier repair bills. But by far the biggest issue is the fact that it’s petrol-powered. Many countries are setting deadlines for which the sale of petrol-powered cars will be banned. The UK announced 2030 as the cut off and the EU and 12 US aim for 2035. So building a brand–new combustion engine for countries that will immediately reject them is about as smart as introducing a high-quality, low-fat steak to a vegan café. It’s just implausible. Not to mention, Porsche is an EU-based brand, so what kind of fines and penalisations will they bring among themselves just for “wasting money” on a brand-new engine? Sure they claim it will improve emissions and fuel efficiency. But will it meet the standards set by the governments of the world? I’m guessing not. Why are Porsche bothering to keep the petrol engine alive: Long live the 911 So given the world is moving to EVs, rejecting petrol power and all the other implications of a 6-stroke engine, one has to ask. Why the hell are Porsche spending so much on both e-fuels and developing a new 6-stroke engine? The answer lies in three iconic numbers: 911. Porsche’s range is currently transitioning to be 80% electric. The Taycan and Macan are all electric. The new Boxster, Cayenne and rumoured new hypercar will be all electric. The Panamera will be dead by the end of the decade. Yet Porsche’s engineers have stated that the 911’s combustion engine is much like the car itself...forever. Let us not forget this 60-year-old icon was meant to die out in the 70s if not for then CEO Peter Schutz who made it clear that the 911 was here to stay. But even though the 911 is forever, there’s only so much Porsche’s engineers can do to improve its current flat-6 engine. So what do you do, when it finally reaches the end of its life cycle? Most current manufacturers would replace it with an electric motor. But Porsche? No. Their most iconic, famous and beloved car only deserves the best. And if they have to develop an all-new 6-stroke engine, and invest $100 million on e-fuels to keep this icon petrol–powered, so be it. After all the world would feel lost without this rear engine, Beetle-inspired, world-defining sports car. Why Porsche has given us hope So, will Porsche’s 6-stroke engine ever make it out of the patent office and into your future 911? Who knows. Porsche could go ahead with the plan or they could decide to keep the flat-6 engine for as long as possible. If they do end up building it, more than likely it will be in the next generation of a 911 post 992. One thing is for certain, Porsche’s willingness and stubbornness to keep the petrol engine alive through e-fuels and 6-stroke engines is admirable. It shows that they truly understand what we as car lovers want in our dream sports cars. Source: theautopian
