Porsche to revive 550

[Moot]

Porsche will use a similar car to the VW Bluesport concept pictured, and use it to have a mid engined car named the 550. Using a new 1.6 litre petrol turbo, flat four boxer engine with about 200bhp. Expected summer 2014. VW of course will have their version as will Audi.
The 550 is to be an entry level sub-boxster at around £35k.
Estimated to be around 1200kgs with 40mpg and below 160g/km co2.

 

[Alex.]

Could you please provide a legitimate source?

 

[Luminis]

It's in German, sorry about that, but it should be sufficient to serve as a source.

Auto Bild article on the upcoming Porsche 550.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

AutoBild? Isn't that about as reliable as Fox news?

 

[Stotty]

I've seen the same rumour in the British Motoring press (autocar).

 

[Luminis]

AutoBild? Isn't that about as reliable as Fox news?

It's worse than Fox News, but they weren't the only ones reporting it, just the first article I found on the web. I saw an issue of Auto Motor und Sport reporting about the 550 as well, though, but I didn't buy it

 

[Jim Prower]

Uh...

Isn't that the Boxster? I mean, hello, mid-engine Porsche Roadster...

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Yeah, but this one will probably have 4-cyl engine, which will fill yet another market gap in Porsche's charts..

 

[Dan_]

And aim it to compete directly to the Alfa 4C.

 

[ShobThaBob]

1.6? Why no 2.0?

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Because that would be just an ecu flash away from base boxsters and caymans.

 

[ShobThaBob]

Because that would be just an ecu flash away from base boxsters and caymans.

I knoooooow

 

[Dan_]

Well, the original 550 was extremely light, even the replicas manage to achieve 500 kilos whilst carrying a 2.0 liter VW l4. If it weighs less than a tonne, a 1.6 turbo will suffice to make it pure fun to drive.

 

[Stotty]

Around 1,000kg with 230ish bhp with Porsche suspension and steering set up should make it plenty quick enough with handling to match 👍

It'll be a price bracket below the Boxster. That will allow the Boxster and Caymen to move up market, and the base 911 to move closer to £80k - plenty of room for this as the most 'basic' Ferrari is close to £200k now.

Seems like a good business decision by VW as far as I can see.

 

[Moot]

If they make it too light though then it's power to weight will make it too good for the boxster. Depends, if the 1.6 turbo is the biggest engine they offer for the 550, then hopefully they could make it nice and lightweight, certainly lighter than the speculated 1200kgs, which I think is way too high. This car is having a manual canvas roof.
They will have to make it good to be a performance class above the next MX-5.

 

[Stotty]

The Boxster/Cayman are already around 300bhp and sub 1400kg.

The next generation will be running 2.0l turbocharged boxer 4's with >300bhp.

Porsche managed to keep the Boxster/Cayman from harming 911 sales pretty effectively, I'm sure they be able to do it with a 3 model range just as well.

 

[Moot]

Base boxster now is 251bhp and 1335kgs.
A 230bhp 1000kgs 550 would kill it.
But we know the new boxster will have a much better base model than the one I quoted.
Maybe 2.0 265bhp minimum, larger but under 1300kgs.

 

[Stotty]

From what I've read... The 991 (next generation 911) will be 360-380bhp for the standard model... so the next Boxster/Caymen will be 300bhp+.

 

[Moot]

It just seems a bit unlike Porsche/VAG to make a 2.0 engine with 300bhp+.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

How so? VW/Audi already have 2.0 turbo that produces 270bhp in Golf R20 and S3..

 

[Grand Prix]

So they essentially want to take an icon from the company's humble beginnings and sell it to people for less than a Porsche Boxster (which is clearly inspired by the 550 Spyder as well anyway). Hmmmmm.

Is there really a need for using the 550 moniker then? Unless they plan on taking it to endurance races. All most people are going to remember is that the 550 killed James Dean, and not the Mille Miglia.

 

[Moot]

How so? VW/Audi already have 2.0 turbo that produces 270bhp in Golf R20 and S3..

Yes, that proves my point, 270bhp is not 300bhp+
And when they do they have to use their old engine from years ago and not their current 2.0 block.
The golf R is 266bhp and S3 261bhp in the UK.

 

[Stotty]

The engine will not be from VW. It will be a boxer 4, not an inline 4.

 

[Moot]

I guess they think they can afford to do that for the brands sake, I take it VAG won't be allowed to use the boxer engine then? Or the new 1.6 boxer? Seems a waste of resources when VAG are about to release their own 1.6 turbo petrol for the range and are developing the 2.0 turbo also.

 

[Luminis]

I guess they think they can afford to do that for the brands sake, I take it VAG won't be allowed to use the boxer engine then? Or the new 1.6 boxer? Seems a waste of resources when VAG are about to release their own 1.6 turbo petrol for the range and are developing the 2.0 turbo also.

They most likely want to give people a reason to go for the Porsche aside from the badge on the front. It's just the logical solution to drop a boxer engine into the Porsche and to go with an inline four for the VW to distinguish both cars a bit.
It's also only reasonable to assume that the Porsche 550 will be a bot sportier in terms of suspension and engine than the VW counterpart - and more expensive as well.

Personally, I expect both car to be positioned around the Audi TT. The Porsche above, the VW below it.

 

[Stotty]

Sorry, just to clarify my last post... the engine in the next Boxster will not be a VW engine.

Not sure what the '550' would use... maybe it will use the same engine as the VW version. Seems unlikely if Porsche want to charge a significant premium for their version.

Porsche aren't completely against using VW engines though... the Panamera and Cayene both use a version of the VW 3.0l diesel.

 

[Joker-GTBR]

The engine will not be from VW. It will be a boxer 4, not an inline 4.

1.6L boxer 4? Looks like it will be used in the Beetle too (at least in Brazil late Beetles had 1.6l engines)

It will be extremely successful if they manage to reduce its weight to 1-ton

 

[jet1991]

Why would they name this car after the famous race car noone "normal" (car afficiandos aren`t considered normal here) person would know about unless they have a thing for James Dean? Why not name it 356. That was mass produced and probably not too expensive when new. But I like the idea of a smaller and cheaper Porsche. Though I`d loved them if they made a smaller car to fight the Miata. Or is this supposed to actually do that?

 

[homeforsummer]

1.6L boxer 4? Looks like it will be used in the Beetle too (at least in Brazil late Beetles had 1.6l engines)

The Beetle won't be using boxer engines, it'll get the usual VW inline units.

The Beetle you're thinking of is the classic rear engine, rear drive one that used opposed-fours. The new car is a completely different vehicle.

 

[Grand Prix]

Why would they name this car after the famous race car noone "normal" (car afficiandos aren`t considered normal here) person would know about unless they have a thing for James Dean? Why not name it 356. That was mass produced and probably not too expensive when new. But I like the idea of a smaller and cheaper Porsche. Though I`d loved them if they made a smaller car to fight the Miata. Or is this supposed to actually do that?

Agreed. Stupid name.

If not James Dean though it will be famous with car nuts at least, for being low enough to drive under Italian railcrossing bars. (and quick enough to beat a train, Porsche may want to leave it this out in their advertising...)