In automotive engineering , a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles , but behind the front axle.
77-454: The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastback coupé (Cayman). The first generation Boxster was introduced in 1996; the second generation Boxster and the Cayman arrived in late 2005; and
154-477: A drive shaft and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution . Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over the rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to the front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of
231-496: A harmonic damper . The typical firing order for a boxer-four engine is for the left bank of cylinders to ignite one after another, followed by the right bank of cylinders (or vice versa), with the firing interval evenly spaced at 180 degrees. Traditionally, the exhausts from the two cylinders on each bank were merged, with the resulting uneven exhaust pulses causing a characteristic "flat-four burble" exhaust sound. The other common exhaust configuration (such as used by Subaru since
308-413: A horizontally opposed-four engine or boxer engine , is a four-cylinder piston engine with two banks of cylinders lying on opposite sides of a common crankshaft. The most common type of flat-four engine is the boxer-four engine , each pair of opposed pistons moves inwards and outwards at the same time. A boxer-four engine has perfect primary and secondary balance, however, the two cylinder heads means
385-561: A 2.7-litre engine and a new Boxster S variant was introduced with a 3.2-litre engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded on both variants. Production of the 986 began at the former 928 facility in Stuttgart , Germany in 1996. Valmet Automotive also manufactured Boxsters under contract to Porsche at a facility in Uusikaupunki , Finland . The Boxster was Porsche's biggest volume seller from its introduction in 1996 until
462-452: A 6-speed manual or a dual-clutch 7-speed PDK transmission. The 981 Cayman featured upgrades including a new body, a longer wheelbase, a wider front track, electrically powered steering, and a redesigned interior that matched the firm's contemporaneous 911 models. The new model gained acclaim in the motoring press as one of the best handling sports cars at any price, due to its mid-engine layout and driving dynamics. The Cayman S benefited from
539-580: A 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual clutch gearbox . Cosmetic changes included new head and tail lights, larger front air intakes with incorporated day time running lights , and an altered lower rear end flanked by twin diffusers. A facelift of the Porsche Cayman followed in February 2009. As with the Boxster, the base Cayman's engine displacement was increased to 2.9-litre while
616-589: A Sport Chrono Package that included active transmission mounts, and made the PDK-equipped model even faster. Porsche claimed that the new generation Boxster provided fuel savings of 15% over the outgoing model. The range was expanded in March 2014 with the addition of the GTS derivative, with slightly altered front and rear bumpers and an additional 11 kW (15 PS; 15 hp) from the 3.4-litre engine. In 2015
693-417: A boxer-four engine result in perfect secondary balance (unlike the unbalanced vertical forces produced by inline-four engines). Boxer-four engines are therefore better suited to displacements above 2.0 L (122 cu in), since they do not require balance shafts to reduce the secondary vibration. In a boxer engine, each cylinder is slightly offset from its opposing pair due to the distance between
770-591: A commercial turnaround for Porsche. Through consultation with Toyota , Porsche began widely sharing parts among models and slashed costs. By October 1991 following a visit to the Tokyo Motor Show , Porsche in dire straits, began to devise solutions to succeed the poor selling 928 and incoming 968 (a heavy update of the 944 ). In February 1992, Porsche began development of a successor to the 928 (mildly updated for 1992) and recently released 968. By June 1992, out of 4 proposals based on dual collaboration between
847-668: A flat-four engine. Tatra produced various flat-four engined model through the 1920s and 1930s. The 1936 Tatra T97 pioneered the rear-engined, air-cooled flat-four, backbone chassis layout (later used by the Volkswagen Beetle ), and at the same time, though unrelated, came the Steyr 50 from Austria, sporting a front boxer 4 engine with rear wheel drive. Also in 1936, English company Jowett expanded its model range from flat-twin engines to also include flat-four engines. Production of Jowett flat-four engines continued until 1954, when
SECTION 10
#1732780336907924-492: A front-engine or rear-engine car. When the engine is in front of the driver, but fully behind the front axle line, the layout is sometimes called a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or FMR layout instead of the less-specific term front-engine; and can be considered a subset of the latter. In-vehicle layout, FMR is substantially the same as FR, but handling differs as a result of the difference in weight distribution. Some vehicles could be classified as FR or FMR depending on
1001-517: A long black-trim bar across the rear connecting the two taillights. The headlights and bumper are also heavily reworked. On the sides, the mirrors have been redesigned, taking cue from the SportDesign mirrors on the GT3. Porsche also began offering additional exterior color options including Miami Blue, Chalk, and Graphite Blue Metallic. The interior remains very similar to the 981 Cayman / Boxster and
1078-1055: A naturally aspirated flat-six engine to a turbocharged flat-four engine, Porsche's first flat-four since the mid-1970s. This engine is produced in displacements of 2.0–2.5 L (122–153 cu in) and produces up to 365 hp (272 kW). Several reviewers criticised the Boxster/Cayman for an uninspiring engine sound. Most motorcycles with four-cylinder engines use an inline-four engine layout, however, several flat-four engine engines have been used in shaft drive motorcycles: Light aircraft commonly use flat-four engines with displacements up to 6.4 L (390 cu in) from manufacturers such as Rotax , Lycoming Engines , Continental Motors and Franklin Engine Company . For radio-controlled aircraft , flat-four engines with displacements of 40–50 cc (2.4–3.1 cu in) are produced by companies such as O.S. Engines . A notable recent flat-four aero-engine
1155-509: A naturally aspirated version of the Subaru FA engine was used in the Toyota 86 (also called the "Subaru BRZ" and "Scion FR-S") rear-wheel drive sports coupe. This engine is water-cooled, has gasoline direct injection , produces 147 kW (197 hp) and has a displacement of 2.0 L (122 cu in). The 2016 Porsche Boxster/Cayman (982) mid-engined sports cars downsized from
1232-458: A number of international and regional awards: Boxster models manufactured between 4 May 2001 and 21 February 2005 have suffered engine failure due to a fault with the intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing , which resulted in a class action lawsuit against Porsche Cars North America (referred to as Eisen v. Porsche Cars North America ). A settlement was agreed in March 2013, subject to court approval. Some say IMS bearing failure issues are not limited to
1309-458: A problem in some cars, but this issue seems to have been largely solved in newer designs. For example, the Saleen S7 employs large engine-compartment vents on the sides and rear of the bodywork to help dissipate heat from its very high-output engine. Mid-engined cars are more dangerous than front-engined cars if the driver loses control - although this may be initially harder to provoke due to
1386-405: A progressive and controllable manner as the tires lose traction. Super, sport, and race cars frequently have a mid-engined layout, as these vehicles' handling characteristics are more important than other requirements, such as usable space. In dedicated sports cars, a weight distribution of about 50% front and rear is frequently pursued, to optimise the vehicle's driving dynamics – a target that
1463-424: A skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of all-wheel-drive without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive components. The mid-engine layout makes ABS brakes and traction control systems work better, by providing them more traction to control. The mid-engine layout may make
1540-401: A vehicle safer since an accident can occur if a vehicle cannot stay in its own lane around a curve or is unable to stop quickly enough. Mid-engine design is also a way to provide additional empty crush space in the front of the automobile between the bumper and the windshield, which can then be designed to absorb more of the impact force in a frontal collision in order to minimize penetration into
1617-589: A water-cooled version called the Volkswagen Wasserboxer was introduced in the Volkswagen Transporter (T3) During the 1960s and 1970s, several manufacturers produced flat-four engines including the air-cooled Citroën flat-four engine , the water-cooled Alfa Romeo flat-four engine , the water-cooled Lancia flat-four engine and the water-cooled Subaru EA engine . Two important engines designed during this period, but never saw
SECTION 20
#17327803369071694-540: Is of primary importance, air-cooling has traditionally been common. The downsides of boxer-four engines (compared with inline-four engines) are their extra width, the increased costs associated with having two cylinder heads instead of one, and the long exhaust manifold required to achieve evenly spaced exhaust pulses. Due to these factors, inline-four engines are more common in cars than are flat-four engines, and V6 engines are often used where larger displacements are required. The equal and opposing forces generated in
1771-408: Is typically only achievable by placing the engine somewhere between the front and rear axles. Usually, the term "mid-engine" has been primarily applied to cars having the engine located between the driver and the rear drive axles. This layout is referred to as rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive , (or RMR) layout. The mechanical layout and packaging of an RMR car are substantially different from that of
1848-429: The 911 (991) and 918 , and featured new and revised engine and transmission specifications. Together with a new body, the type 981 Boxster featured a new, 40 per cent more torsionally rigid chassis, the front track was 40 mm (1.6 in) wider, the rear 18 mm (0.7 in) wider and the wheelbase extended by 60 mm (2.4 in), but with a small weight reduction of up to 35 kg (77 lb) compared to
1925-518: The Boxster debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show with the (997) 911 and became available for sale in 2005. Revised styling included modified headlights, larger side intake vents and enlarged wheel arches to allow wheels up to 19 inches in diameter. Interior revisions included a more prominent circular theme for the instrument cluster and cooling vents. The base engine is a 2.7-litre 176 kW (239 PS; 236 hp) flat-six boxer engine , with
2002-531: The Engine balance section. Boxer-four engines have been used in cars since 1897, especially by Volkswagen and Subaru. They have also occasionally been used in motorcycles and frequently in aircraft. Cessna and Piper use flat four engines from Lycoming and Continental in the most common civil aircraft in the world - the Cessna 172 , and Piper Cherokee , while many ultralight and LSA planes use versions of
2079-669: The Jowett Javelin saloon and Jowett Jupiter sports models ended production. The longest production flat-four engine is the Volkswagen air-cooled engine , which was produced from 1938 until 2006 and was most famously used in the rear-engined 1938–2003 Volkswagen Beetle and 1950–1983 Volkswagen Transporter . This air-cooled engine was designed by Porsche and was also used in the 1948–1965 Porsche 356 , 1953–1956 Porsche 550 , 1965–1969 Porsche 912 and 1969–1976 Porsche 914 . In 1984, to comply with exhaust emissions regulations
2156-553: The Rotax 912 . In a flat-four engine, each pair of opposing pistons successively moves inwards together and outwards together. The advantages of the boxer-four layout are perfect secondary vibration (resulting in minimal vibration), a low centre of gravity , and a short engine length. Flat-four engine have successfully used air cooling , although air-cooled engines are noisier and have a lower power output than an equivalent engine with liquid cooling . In light aircraft, where lightness
2233-507: The Subaru WRX sports sedan and its World Rally Car counterpart. Subaru's adoption of all-wheel drive was a factor in retaining the flat-four engine, since the shorter length of this engine assists in fitting the all-wheel drive components into the chassis. Although it is more expensive than an inline-four engine, the flat-four engine allows Subaru to build an all-wheel drive vehicle at little extra cost from two-wheel drive. In 2012,
2310-406: The alligator family. The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engine two-seater roadster. It was Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the 914 . The first-generation Boxster (the 986 ) was introduced in late 1996; it was powered by a 2.5-litre flat six-cylinder engine. The design was heavily influenced by the 1993 Boxster Concept. In 2000, the base model was upgraded to
2387-436: The crankpin journals. This offset gives rise to a slight rocking couple , but any resulting vibration is normally insufficient to require balance shafts. As with all four-stroke engines of four cylinders or fewer, the lack of overlap in the power strokes results in a pulsating delivery of torque to the flywheel , causing a torsional vibration along the crankshaft axis. Such vibration, if excessive, may be minimised using
Porsche Boxster and Cayman - Misplaced Pages Continue
2464-604: The 1950s and 1960s, e.g. the AEC Reliance . The Ferrari Mondial is to date the only successful example of a true mid-engined convertible with seating for 4 and sports car/supercar performance. A version of the Lotus Evora with a removable roof panel is anticipated but no definite date is known. Like any layout where the engine is not front-mounted and facing the wind, the traditional "engine-behind-the-passengers" layout makes engine cooling more difficult. This has been
2541-536: The 911 GT3, it puts out 500 PS (370 kW; 490 hp; 500 PS) and 450 N⋅m (330 lbf⋅ft) which allows it to sprint from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds. It generates 25% more downforce than the GT4 variant, through a swan-neck attachment fixed rear wing. The GT4 RS lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife 23 seconds faster than the GT4. The Boxster and Cayman received
2618-418: The 982), reviving the historic 718 moniker while switching engines from naturally-aspirated flat sixes to small-displacement flat-four turbocharged units. The new 718 Cayman was also repositioned with an entry price lower than that of the 718 Boxster, in keeping with Porsche's higher pricing for roadster models. Grant Larson's design, inspired by the 356 Cabriolet, Speedster, and 550 Spyder , stimulated
2695-561: The 986 and 996 ( 993 successor) design teams, a proposal by Grant Larson and Pinky Lai was chosen by Harm Lagaay . In August 1992, a decision was made to develop the concept into a show vehicle, in time for the 1993 North American International Auto Show. After garnering widespread acclaim from the press and public upon presentation of the Boxster Concept in January 1993, the final production 986 production exterior design by Larson
2772-539: The 991.2 generation of the Porsche 911. The main change is the new PCM 4.0 infotainment system, which replaces the PCM 3.1. The steering wheel comes with a mode selector switch that includes a selection of Sports and Sports Plus driving modes, resulting in snappier throttle response at the cost of fuel efficiency. Overall, the most prominent design features of the 981 Cayman / Boxster remain, including large air induction ports on
2849-443: The Boxster S getting a 3.2-litre 206 kW (280 PS; 276 hp) engine. For 2007, the base Boxster received a revised engine featuring VarioCam Plus and the Boxster S engine was upgraded from 3.2-litre to 3.4-litre. These upgrades made the Boxster series and the Cayman series equivalent in terms of power. The 987 is the last generation of the Boxster and Cayman series with hydraulic steering. The Cayman S fastback coupé (987c)
2926-629: The Boxster models received several new cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, further increasing engine output and performance. The third generation Boxster (type 981 ) was launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show . First launched in 2005 for the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche's second and third generation Boxster roadster, styled in its first iteration by Pinky Lai . All Caymans up to 2012 were manufactured in Finland by Valmet Automotive. As Volkswagen assumed control of Porsche AG, production of Caymans and Boxsters after 2012 began in
3003-600: The Cayman S gained direct injection. Both the Cayman and Cayman S maintained a 7 kW (10 PS; 9 hp) power advantage over their roadster sibling, the Boxster. A limited slip differential was now a factory option. The Cayman R was launched In 2011 as the pinnacle of the 987 generation. Based on the 2009 Cayman S, the Cayman R was given more power and a 55 kg weight reduction thanks to lightweight wheels, 911 GT2 lightweight door cards and handles, doors and carbon seats, removal of air conditioning, storage compartments, entertainment system and rear wiper. The Cayman R
3080-493: The Cayman S in 3.9 seconds. In October 2017, the GTS models were announced with their 2.5-litre engines upgraded to 272 kW (370 PS; 365 hp). In 2020, the GTS 4.0 model of both the Boxster and the Cayman was released with a new engine, a slightly de-tuned version of the 4.0-litre naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine found in the GT4. In the GTS 4.0 trim the engine is rated at 294 kW (400 PS; 394 hp) and 420 N⋅m (310 lb⋅ft) of torque while
3157-446: The GT4 derivative was introduced, seeing the engine from a 991.1 Carrera S rotated 180 degrees. The GT4 also saw a lowered ride height, altered bumpers, a rear wing and additional GT package upgrades including brakes and certain suspension components from a 991.1 GT3. These special cars were manufactured from 2015 - 2016 with a total of 2500 being made, making this model one of the more desirable collector's cars in Porsche's lineup. The GT4
Porsche Boxster and Cayman - Misplaced Pages Continue
3234-408: The GT4 engine has 309 kW (420 PS; 414 hp). The GTS comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, -20 mm sport suspension with adaptive dampers and a mechanical limited slip differential. The exterior of the 718 Boxster and Cayman is very similar to the third generation, in fact more of an evolution than a redesign. The most notable changes are to the rear of the car, which now has
3311-411: The back of the engine cover. The suspension design is fundamentally the same as that of the Boxster with revised settings due to the stiffer chassis with the car's fixed roof. The Cayman S was powered by a 3.4-litre flat-six mated to a 6-speed manual transaxle , a 2.7-litre engine with a 5-speed transmission was standard for the base model. An electronically controlled 5-speed automatic ( Tiptronic )
3388-578: The bore and stroke were equal, with each being 95 mm (3.7 in). In 1902 the Buffum automobile was equipped with opposed four cylinder engines that were rated at 16 horsepower. Herbert H. Buffum produced an American Automobile called the Buffum in Abington, Massachusetts from 1903 to 1907. Having previously produced flat-twin engines, the 1926 Tatra 30 was the Czech company's first model powered by
3465-472: The car's handling and throttle response. Giving the award, Miguel Cortina noted, "The suspension is just what you want to feel in a car like this—stiff, sporty, rigid. You get a very good sense of what is happening on the road." In 2021, Porsche unveiled the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the first Cayman to receive the RS treatment which is usually reserved for the 911 models. With a 4.0 naturally aspirated flat-six derived from
3542-521: The case of the Ferrari FF taking power from both ends of the crankshaft with two separate gearboxes. These cars use a traditional engine layout between driver and rear drive axle. Typically, they're simply called MR; for mid-rear (engined), or mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars. These cars use mid-ship, four-wheel-drive , with an engine between the axles. These cars are "mid-ship engined" vehicles, but they use front-wheel drive , with
3619-408: The casting process. In addition to causing problems with coolant and oil systems mingling fluids, it also resulted in Porsche's decision to repair faulty engines by boring out the cast sleeves on the cylinders where defects were noted in production and inserting new sleeves rather than scrapping the engine block. Normally, the cylinder walls are cast at the same time as the rest of the engine, this being
3696-512: The design is more expensive to produce than an inline-four engine . There is a minor, secondary unbalanced rotational torque pulse in the plane of the pistons, when a piston pair at one end of the engine is at TDC and the other pair at BDC. The TDC pair creates a torque greater than the BDC pair, so the net unbalanced torque pulse is the difference. The difference in TDC vs BDC inertial forces is explained in
3773-460: The engine in front of the driver. It is still treated as an FF layout, though, due to the engine's placement still being in the front of the car, contrary to the popular belief that the engine is placed in front of the rear axle with power transferred to the front wheels (an RMF layout). In most examples, the engine is longitudinally mounted rather than transversely as is common with FF cars. Flat-four engine A flat-four engine , also known as
3850-413: The engine placed between the driver and the front axle. This layout, similar to the above FMR layout, with the engine between driver and the front axle, adds front-wheel drive to become a four-wheel drive. An engineering challenge with this layout is getting the power to the front wheels past the engine - this would normally involve raising the engine to allow a propshaft to pass under the engine, or in
3927-562: The factory-installed engine (I4 vs I6). Historically most classical FR cars such as the Ford Models T and A would qualify as an FMR engine car. Additionally, the distinction between FR and FMR is a fluid one, depending on the degree of engine protrusion in front of the front axle line, as manufacturers mount engines as far back in the chassis as possible. Not all manufacturers use the Front-Mid designation. These cars are RWD cars with
SECTION 50
#17327803369074004-439: The fore and aft weight distribution by other means, such as putting the engine in the front and the gearbox and battery in the rear of the vehicle. Another benefit comes when the heavy mass of the engine is located close to the back of the seats. It makes it easier for the suspension to absorb the force of bumps so the riders feel a smoother ride. But in sports cars, the engine position is once again used to increase performance and
4081-599: The former Karmann plant in Osnabrück , Germany, at the time owned by Volkswagen and also used for production of the 2012 Golf (Mk6) convertible. The car is not named after the Cayman Islands . Both the car and the islands are named after the caiman , a member of the alligator family . When the Cayman arrived at dealerships for sale, the automaker adopted four caimans at Stuttgart 's Wilhelma Zoo. Porsche brought an infringement lawsuit in 2009 against Crocs ,
4158-468: The front headlight's amber indicators were replaced with clear indicators. The rear light cluster was also changed with translucent grey turn signals replacing the amber ones. The side marker lights on the front wings were changed as well from amber to clear, except on American market cars where they remained amber. The bumpers were also changed slightly for a more defined, chiseled appearance, and new wheel designs were made available. The second generation of
4235-571: The introduction of the Cayenne sport utility vehicle in 2003. As of September 2012, additional production of the Boxster started at the former Karmann -factory in Osnabrück . In 2005, Porsche debuted the second generation of the Boxster, the type 987 , with a more powerful engine and styling inspired by the Carrera GT . Engine output increased in 2007, when the Boxster models received the engines from their corresponding Cayman variants. In 2009,
4312-669: The light of day in series production, were the Morris 800cc side valve engine by Alec Issigonis in 1947 originally destined for the Morris Minor, and the Ferguson 2.2 litre SOHC engine by Claude Hill in 1966 as part of the R5 vehicle research project. By 2000, most manufacturers had replaced flat-four engines with inline-four engines. A notable exception is Subaru, with the water-cooled Subaru EJ engine being available in turbocharged form in
4389-650: The maker of the popular rubber shoes. At issue was the footwear company's clog name also called Cayman. An injunction was granted against Crocs Europe, a division of the Longmont, Colorado-based shoe company preventing their use in Germany of the Cayman name. Introduced in 2016 for the 2017 model year, the Porsche Boxster and Cayman were renamed the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman (internally called
4466-416: The mid-2000s) is to pair the cylinders with a firing interval offset of 360 degrees, in order to optimise the exhaust pulses . This configuration requires long exhaust manifolds, in order to pair the cylinders on opposite banks, and results in a less distinctive exhaust sound. In 1900, the first flat-four engine was produced by Benz & Cie , based on Benz's 1897 "contra" flat-twin engine. This engine
4543-416: The model years covered in the settlement. On March 5, 2019, Porsche issued a recall on 14,388 718 Caymans and Boxsters, due to a luggage compartment bracket that could puncture the fuel tank in certain collision instances. Mid-engine design The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use
4620-594: The name is meant to evoke a racing series that was won by a light car which outmaneuvered the cars with more powerful engines. The timeline of the 718 release started in 2016, with first model availability scheduled for June. The 718 base models featured two new horizontally-opposed flat-4 turbocharged engines of 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre displacements with increased torque and horsepower along with lower fuel consumption. The S model's turbocharger utilises Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) technology. The Boxster S could accelerate from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 4.1 seconds, and
4697-443: The passenger compartment of the vehicle. In most automobiles, and in sports cars especially, ideal car handling requires balanced traction between the front and rear wheels when cornering, in order to maximize the possible speed around curves without sliding out. This balance is harder to achieve when the heavy weight of the engine is located far to the front or far to the rear of the vehicle. Some automobile designs strive to balance
SECTION 60
#17327803369074774-536: The potentially smoother ride is usually more than offset by stiffer shock absorbers . This layout also allows the motor, gearbox, and differential to be bolted together as a single unit. Together with independent suspension on the driven wheels, this removes the need for the chassis to transfer engine torque reaction. The largest drawback of mid-engine cars is restricted rear or front (in the case of front-mid layouts) passenger space; consequently, most mid-engine vehicles are two-seat vehicles. The engine in effect pushes
4851-418: The previous type 987 Boxster. The standard Boxster was fitted with a new 2.7-litre flat-6 engine, and the Boxster S was fitted with the existing 3.4-litre engine but with revised performance. Both engines were equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional 7-speed reworked PDK . Both manual and automatic models were available with several technical options, including Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) and
4928-412: The rear passenger seats forward towards the front axle (if the engine is behind the driver). Exceptions typically involve larger vehicles of unusual length or height in which the passengers can share space between the axles with the engine, which can be between them or below them, as in some vans, large trucks, and buses. The mid-engine layout (with a horizontal engine) was common in single-decker buses in
5005-420: The reason for adopting the casting technology. The model received a minor facelift in 2002. The plastic rear window was replaced by a smaller glass window. The interior received a glove compartment, new electro-mechanical hood and trunk release mechanism (with an electronic emergency release in the fuse box panel) and an updated steering wheel. Porsche installed a reworked exhaust pipe and air intake. In addition,
5082-471: The same engine and running gear as Porsche's 3.4-litre version of the 911. With the new 982-generation, the marketing designation of the Boxster and Cayman was changed to Porsche 718 , a nod to Porsche's racing heritage that won the Targa Florio race in 1959 and 1960. Because the 718 Cayman / Boxster has lost two cylinders, going from a naturally aspirated flat-6 engine to a turbocharged flat-4 engine,
5159-464: The side, and the prominent horizontal aluminum piece used for adding oil and coolant in the trunk. Despite the loss of two cylinders, the 718 Cayman / Boxster are mechanically superior to the 981 model; acceleration is faster and steering is improved according to Top Gear and Motor Trend . In spite of the view of some that the new engine "cheapens the experience", the 718 Cayman was declared Motor Trend's 2nd best Drivers car in 2017, which praised
5236-412: The superior balance - and the car begins to spin. The moment of inertia about the center of gravity is low due to the concentration of mass between the axles (similar to standing in the middle of a playground roundabout, rather than at the edge) and the spin will occur suddenly, the car will rotate faster and it will be harder to recover from. Conversely, a front-engined car is more likely to break away in
5313-408: The third generation launched in 2012. Since the introduction of the fourth generation in 2016, the two models have been marketed as the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman . The nameplate Boxster is a portmanteau of boxer , a reference to its flat or boxer engine , and roadster , a reference to the body style. The nameplate Cayman is an alternative spelling of caiman , a member of
5390-438: Was also available on the S and base models. The Tiptronic transmission for the 987.1 is a ZF 5HP transmission 19 model 1060.030 109/110. The Boxster and Boxster S models received a facelift in 2008. Changes included an increase in engine displacement to 2.9-litre for the Boxster, incorporation of Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) for the Boxster S. Both models now came standard with a new 6-speed manual gearbox and were available with
5467-515: Was first unveiled and went on sale in late 2005. The base Cayman followed in July 2006. Both the Cayman and second generation Boxster roadster share their mid-engine platform and many components, including the front fenders and trunk lid, doors, headlights, taillights, and forward portion of the interior. Styling incorporates cues from the 356/1 , the 550 Coupé and the 904 Coupé . The Cayman's hatchback enables access to luggage areas on top of and in
5544-468: Was frozen in March 1993. However, by the second half of 1993, difficulties arose with fitment of some components, resulting in lengthening of the hood and requiring another design freeze by fourth quarter of that year. Prototypes in 968 bodies were built to test the mid-engine power train of the 986 by the end of 1993, with proper prototypes surfacing in 1994. Pilot production began in the second half of 1995, ahead of series production in mid-1996. The Boxster
5621-539: Was made in limited numbers and led the way to the formation of the Cayman GT4. Porsche's iconic lightweight "R" designation originated with the legendary 911 R in 1967, becoming a distinct symbol. The third-generation Boxster (internally known as the 981) was announced on 13 March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show with sales starting in early summer 2012. The 981 Boxster reflected the new design language from
5698-456: Was released ahead of the 996 . The 986 Boxster had the same bonnet, front wings, headlights, interior and engine architecture as the 996. All 986 and 987 Boxsters use the M96, a water-cooled, horizontally opposed ("flat"), six-cylinder engine. It was Porsche's first water-cooled non-front engine. In the Boxster, it is placed in a mid-engine layout, while in the 911, the classic rear-engine layout
5775-492: Was used in Benz racing cars, produced 20 hp (15 kW), had a displacement of 5.4 L (330 cu in) and was designed by Georg Diehl. London company Wilson-Pilcher released its first car in 1901, which was powered by a flat-four engine. This engine was mounted longitudinally in the chassis, water-cooled, produced 9 hp (7 kW) and had a displacement of 2.4 L (146 cu in). Unusually for its day,
5852-421: Was used. The mid-engine layout provides a low center of gravity, a near-perfect weight distribution, and neutral handling. The M96 engines had a number of failures, resulting in cracked or slipped cylinder liners, which were resolved by a minor redesign and better control of the casting process in late 1999. A failure for these early engines was a spate of porous engine blocks, as the manufacturer had difficulty in
5929-455: Was widely considered one of the best cars of 2015/2016 where it won many awards for its impeccable handling and performance. The third generation Cayman was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show . The production version of the 981 Cayman was released as a 2014 model in the spring of 2013. The new car was available in both the standard trim with a 2.7-litre engine, and in the S trim with a 3.4-litre engine. Both versions were available with either
#906093