Wednesday 23rd April 2014

The four-cylinder Porsche is back!

Nobody mention VW van engines now...

---

Porsche is once again selling four-cylinder cars to customers, with the launch of a 2.0-litre turbo petrol version of the Macan. And no, it isn't the much-rumoured and rather fancied flat four engine, but a mainstream in-line four-pot found in (literally) millions of other VWs, Audi, Skodas and SEATs. An I4 Porsche using a cooking Volkswagen engine - now, where have we heard that before...

No S, Diesel or Turbo here; just Macan

OK, well perhaps it's not quite any old four-cylinder: it is, after all, the EA888 motor also found in the VW Golf GTI amongst (many) others. It outpunches even the Golf GTI Performance Pack variant too, with a reasonably tasty 237hp produced between 5,000-6,800rpm (sounds like it likes to rev, this iteration...). At the other end, there's a great slug of torque: 258lb ft spread flat between 1,500-4,500rpm.

So although it weighs 1,770kg, the Macan 2.0T still manages to reach 62mph in 6.9 seconds. That's no doubt aided by some launch control trickery from the standard PDK gearbox, but it does also mean it'll be level-pegging with a Fiesta ST away from the lights.

It's a useful little bit cheaper than the regular Macan S V6 petrol and diesel as well: a list price of £40,276 represents a saving of more than £3,000. It'll average as much as 39.2mpg too, depending on which wheels you fit, and CO2 as low as 168g/km is also pretty good going.

No 968 CS, is it?

Just one problem. Porsche doesn't want you to buy it. Although you can find it on the firm's UK customer site, it comes with the disclaimer 'Special order only. Please contact a Centre'. Which no doubt will try to convince you that, actually, you don't really want a four-pot Macan anyway. Not when there's a nice V6 alternative for just a few thousand more.

And don't forget, they'll say, it IS an engine that's also fitted to a van (t) Audis. Ba-dum.

[anonymous-user]

A necessary addition. Some people will complain that it's not a real Porsche, but they'll sell more of these than ones with bigger engines. You can almost guarantee a 4 cylinder diesel is on the way.

[Impasse]

Lotus Evora.

There, said it.

[alock]

How long until it gets the 4 cylinder diesel as well?

[kambites]

Seems like a sensible enough pairing. I suspect most of these things will spend most of their time doing short trips in city centres and suburbs where a small(ish) petrol engine is really the most sensible option.

[blueSL]

Right in competition with the petrol Evoque and, yes, I expect there will be a 4 cylinder diesel. The issue is the likely poverty spec so that although it's cheaper on paper than the Evoque, by the time you've added stuff which comes as standard, it won't be. Still, it gives LR a much needed kick up the back-side and I think the Evoque's days in the sun are numbered. This Macan uses a VW/Audi generic 2 litre, 4 cylinder engine. The Evoque uses a Ford generic 2 litre, 4 cylinder engine, both around 240 bhp.

[British Beef]

Would the Jaguar 3lt TD engine fit in the Evoque?

[simonrockman]

[unpc]

British Beef said:

Would the Jaguar 3lt TD engine fit in the Evoque?

Nope.

[PHMatt]

Surely the only reason this exists is for Porsches overall emissions targets?
If it's not much cheaper and far less really available it means they don't care if people don't buy it as long as there seen to be selling it.

[TomTVR500]

unpc said:

British Beef said:

Would the Jaguar 3lt TD engine fit in the Evoque?

Nope.

Even if it did Land Rover would never do it because they need to maintain the model hierarchy.

[anonymous-user]

PHMatt said:

Surely the only reason this exists is for Porsches overall emissions targets?
If it's not much cheaper and far less really available it means they don't care if people don't buy it as long as there seen to be selling it.

So wrong. It's cheaper to buy (lease), insure, run and tax. They'll sell loads.

[slipstream 1985]

i like the look of that....

[kambites]

PHMatt said:

Surely the only reason this exists is for Porsches overall emissions targets?
If it's not much cheaper and far less really available it means they don't care if people don't buy it as long as there seen to be selling it.

Isn't the limit set by manufacturer, rather than by brand? That being the case, Porsche are such a tiny part of VAG that I doubt anyone gives a damn about their average emissions.

I'm fairly confident they're making it because it'll sell. I wonder if it's aimed at the fleet market somewhere or other.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 23 April 17:37

[jonny996]

£3K is not a big enough diffrance to make it worth while, unless they have excess stock and are discounting them, which I doubt

[Blayney]

A few years ago I read in a magazine (probably Autocar) that had a rumour of Porsche thinking of making a car underneath the boxster with a 4cyl engine, possibly resurrecting the 550 spyder name. Whatever happened to that?

[findtomdotcom]

My money is on the diesel. Resale tastic......

Edited by findtomdotcom on Wednesday 23 April 18:06

[Ollieb7]

Many more flat engines please so we can have good looking cars again without those stupid pedestrian friendly high bonnets

[gazsouthgate]

Is this a clever Co2 emissions tactic? Techincally it is offered for sale, but actually near-impossible to buy

[fathomfive]

Have I missed the foamy-mouthed rhetoric usually reserved for such announcements?

These sensible posts are quite disconcerting.

[Axionknight]

So long as it keeps bank rolling the good stuff like the Cayenne does, then it's happy days all round IMO - personally I like the Macan and much prefer it's looks to it's immediate rivals and bigger brother. I can't see me ever being in the market for this sort of thing, but it still comes over as a good all round motor.