I was curious about this, then I clicked the link, which took me to a R&T page that had a YouTube video. I was floored.
The video in question:
It took a sec for me to understand that the sound wasn’t coming from the WRX but from a Porsche Boxster. And it sounded VERY nice. Very Subaru’ish but still very nice.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a28293/porsche-718-boxster-first-ride/
Excerpt:
I’ve flown 10 hours to listen to an engine. Which isn’t that big a deal, really. I once drove 20 hours straight for a corned beef sandwich. But the stakes here are considerably higher. See, Porsche is replacing the near-perfect flat-sixes in its Boxster with brand-new, turbocharged flat-fours. The 718 Boxster now has a 2.0-liter four making 300 horsepower and the 718 Boxster S has a 2.5-liter good for 350 hp.
I shared the following news about the Porsche Boxster and Cayman flat-four engines:
Here’s what you need to know about Porsche’s New Turbo Flat-Four Engines
Power Specs and Details on Porsche’s New Boxter and Cayman Engines
Flat Four-cylinder Turbo Porsche Cayman
Porsche to Manufacture Horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder Engines
Yeah, I’ve been fixated on that car because…well, because of the flat-four. I’m interested in seeing how a non-Subaru manufacturer extracts power from a flat-four. As well, I’d like to hear how they sound. I’m also wondering how the Porsche purists will respond to those two cars and their flat-four engines.
Sadly, I’ve not seen or heard much yet, but I’ve no doubt I’ll have my questions answered once the first real reviews are made public.
I posted awhile back that Porsche might be going mainstream with turbocharged flat-four engines. Boxer engines aren’t the most efficient when it comes to making power, but they do offer outstanding balance (center of gravity, which will enhance handling).
Here’s another article:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-videos/the-4-cylinder-turbo-porsche-cayman-cometh
I just saw the following posted on Facebook:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-videos/this-is-probably-the-flat-four-cayman-at-the-nurburgring
I also posted awhile back about the fact that Porsche was considering using the flat-four layout in upcoming engine options for the Boxster and Cayman.
I then saw the videos provided on that page. First, they posted a baseline video, so that people know how a current Cayman sounds:
Then, they posted a Boxster andCayman with what’s unarguably a flat-four motor:
I prefer the sound of the flat-six, but the flat-four isn’t bad.
EDIT:
There’s quite a bit of uproar with the Porsche “purists” on R&T’s Facebook page…check out the comments:
I like car magazine articles such as this one, because I can relate to the older cars very well, and older cars such as the 2005 NSX are still desirable, even if they’re no longer made. An excerpt from the article:
Driving a new Acura NSX in 2005 was a bit like trying to text on a Motorola StarTAC. Yes, that was the best mobile phone of the 1990s, but it was hardly the best tool for the job. And yes, Acura had updated the NSX over its life, but by 2005 this aluminum supercar was past its sell-by date. Its V-6 still sounded as good as it did when it arrived in 1990; it was just that the 290-hp NSX couldn’t compete in a streetscape filled with400-hp Corvettes, 911 Turbos, and AMGs. And certainly not with its $90,000 sticker.
The 2013 Porsche Boxster is a good car to compare the 2005 NSX against, and, surprisingly, the NSX holds it’s own when comparing handling characteristic between the two (and engine comparisons give the NSX the edge, as it appears to have a torque advantage).
The rest of the article is linked below. I enjoyed this read.