Not less. Not more. Just right. The dictionary contains a multitude of words for “less.” They include notions of abstaining, refraining, forgoing. We let go of things we no longer want. Less is good. The tiny house movement is challenging the accepted wisdom of the real estate sector’s adage “Bigger is better.”
In the automobile industry, minimalism is a luxury. The aim is to downsize a wide range of technical parameters: weight, displacement, the number of cylinders. Yet this endeavor is by no means a one-way street. The flip side is an increase in technical progress, or simply technical sophistication. The key question is how to get more from less.
Here’s one answer: turbo. Turbo technology has enabled Porsche to win nearly everything there is to win, including endurance races; and, as an engine supplier, Formula One. The principle is simple: less displacement, fewer cylinders, lower fuel consumption. And in return, more power. The 919 Hybrid in the LMP1 class embodies this technology better than any race car in history: high system output thanks to energy recovery with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
From the racetrack to the road—like the new 911 Carrera, known internally as the 991 II. Less displacement and lower fuel consumption. And if you count the cylinders in the new 718 Boxster series, you’ll find fewer. Four. There used to be more. Six. Is this a drawback? Not in the least. It comes with the greatest increase in torque the model has ever seen. We expect a 718 Boxster equipped with all the performance options to lap the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring 16 seconds faster than a previous Boxster S. Fuel consumption has dropped by as much as 13 percent according to current New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standards. Is this less? Or is it more?
It’s just right. It’s right-sizing. The right amount at the right time. Less Porsche is not more Porsche. But rather, Porsche is Porsche. We remain who we are. Not big. Not small. Not loud. Not quiet. Just better.
Wherever you have come from, wherever you are going, let Christophorus ride with you.
Christophorus ‒ The Porsche customer magazine
Christophorus is the official magazine for Porsche customers, and one of the oldest and most renowned customer publications in the world. Its issues have been numbered consecutively since its launch in 1952.
Named after the patron saint of travelers, the magazine provides interesting information about cars and automotive engineering, and offers an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of the company.
Christophorus currently appears five times a year in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Dutch and Polish.
Selected articles will be published online successively every two weeks.
If you are interested in the Porsche company and all of its products, you can subscribe to Christophorus at:
