Click Thumbnails to Enlarge
Porsche's secret new baby Boxster (2008)
By
Georg Kacher (artist's impression Motor Forecast)
Spyshots
26 September 2008 09:00
And the engines?
Sporting a long wheelbase, a wide track and short overhangs, the new state-of-the-art sports car concept is flexible enough to incorporate two or three different packaging formulae which may be essential for optimum inter-brand differentiation. The small MSS matrix is also totally flexible in terms of drivetrain options - from electric power to any kind of hybrid application to petrol and diesel engines, anything is possible. VW could even do a Bluemotion roadster powered by the new 75bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder TDI unit.
More realistic, and probably more desirable, is a choice of turbocharged 1.2 and 1.4- four-cylinder engines with between 105 and 160bhp. Audi would obviously go more up-market and install the 180bhp 1.8-litre TFSI motor, a 2.0-litre version rated at 220bhp and a brawny S-line model good for 280bhp.
If TDI is an option, as it likely will be, a 125bhp variant of the latest 1.6-litre common-rail engine would be a frugal alternative to the 170 and 204bhp 2.0-litre variants. A Quattro four-wheel drive system probably won’t appear, because while it may be a useful marketing instrument, it does add weight and incur friction losses, and it is not an absolute necessity in terms of vehicle dynamics.
Will Porsche join this project?
‘Sometimes Porsche is too stupid to recognize an opportunity when we see one,’ states a critical voice from Stuttgart. ‘The Cayenne and the pending diesel/hybrid engine deals prove the value of cooperating. So why should Porsche not use this opportunity to revive the 356? The most frequently voiced argument cites high production volumes, which would allegedly devalue the brand and overstretch our sales network. But who says that high volumes are a must? Isn’t it time to create a car which is by definition in short supply, which is so desirable it will automatically build up its own hype, and which follows an innovative boutique approach in appearance and configuration?’
Like a limited-edition Rolex watch or a rare Hermes handbag, the new 356 could almost revolutionize the segment below the Boxster by accessing a new level of performance, handling, style and, yes, social acceptance. Porsche could, in other words. tune the model’s DNA in a much more extreme direction - or back towards its roots. After all, we’re not talking about a new 914 or 924 here. The magic number is 356, which was in its original form a VW Beetle, refined and improved by Porsche to give it proper sports car genes. Arguably, this recipe could work in today’s world, but in order for it to do so the general approach within Porsche, VW and Audi must change from confrontation to cooperation.
Click 'Add your comment' below and have your say
