The History of Porsche Engines

German automaker Porsche began producing engines even before its first cars were manufactured in 1939. Besides the iconic flat-6 engines that the Porsche brand has become associated with, Porsche has designed and built a number of different engine styles that have powered its sports cars and, more recently, its SUVs and sedans. Generally, Porsche engines have been known by the same name as the car for which they were designed.

Early Engines

Although Porsche's first car, known as the Porsche 64, was unveiled in 1939, the engine was actually produced in 1938. Designed as a racer with borrowed components from the Volkswagen Beetle, the Porsche 64 featured a flat-4 cylinder engine with an output of 50 horsepower and a top speed of around 100 miles per hour.
Porsche production was interrupted by the onset of World War II and the same engineers who had been designing Porsche engines found themselves in the service of the German government, designing military vehicles. Porsche did not produce another car until 1948.

Post-War Era

Porsche returned to automaking in 1948. The first post-war model was the Porsche 356, which used another air-cooled flat-4 engine with a 1.6 liter displacement. As the Porsche 356 was Porsche's first mass-produced model, the Porsche 356 engine became known worldwide. The Porsche 356 remained in production until 1965 and new variants on the flat-4 engine were offered for later model years including a 1.1 liter, a 1.5 liter, and a 2.0 liter. The Porsche 356 engine also benefited from continual upgrades that drove horsepower as high as 130 before it was discontinued.
In 1951 Porsche introduced its 550 engine, for use in the 550 race car. This was yet another flat-4 engine and was one of Porsche's all time success stories on the racing circuit.

The 911

In 1963 Porsche introduced what would be its most popular and recognizable car, the Porsche 911. I continuous production since 1963, the 911 engines have been among Porsche's most powerful and most reliable. All Porsche 911 engines have been in the flat-6 configuration. The initial 1963 version was an air-cooled 2.0 liter engine. The 911 engine grew in size over the years, with a 3.6 liter air-cooled flat-6 powering the 911 as recently as 1998.
In 1998 Porsche engines underwent the most drastic change since the move from 4- to 6-cylinder engines with the introduction of water-cooled engines. Water-cooled flat-6 engines have powered the 911 ever since 1998 and horsepower ratings have exceeded 500 for several model years.

Other Engines

During production of the 911 engine, several other Porsche engines came and went with varying success. The 912 was another flat-4 made between 1965 and 1969. In the 1970s, flat-4 and flat-6 versions of the 914 engine were produced.
Porsche introduced its first V8 in 1978: the Porsche 928. In 1986 the Porsche 928 went from being a single cam V8 to a twin cam.
In the 1980s, Porsche produced a series of inline-4 cylinder engines known as the 924 and 944. In the '90s, the 4-cylinder engine was known as the 968.

Late Offerings

The late-20th and early-21st century have seen the introduction of several new Porsche engines. A 5.7 liter V10 engine was built for the Carrera GT, giving the "supercar" 612 horsepower. Porsche also developed a new line of V6 and V8 engines (known collectively at the 955 line) for its Cayenne SUV. These engines were also initially offered in the Porsche Panamera sedan in 2009, but a new line of Panamera-specific V8 engines debuted shortly after the new car's introduction. Porsche continues to produce flat-6 engines for its 911, Boxster, and Cayman sports cars.

Resources

• Porsche: Official Site