The flat-six engine runs smoothly and does not generate so-called free torques or forces. Furthermore, flat engines are ideal for reducing the centre of gravity of a vehicle. The horizontal cylinders allow a particularly low design and the lower the centre of gravity of a vehicle is, the more sportily it can be driven.

Performance and efficiency are necessary, but both must be guaranteed, even under economic constraints. All current flat-six engines therefore originate from the same family ? the 9A1 construction kit introduced in 2008. While a general identical parts and technology strategy was already pursued before the introduction of the 9A1 construction kit with consideration for the specific technological requirements of individual derivatives, the 9A1 construction kit was implemented for the first time as an engine construction kit based consistently on a modular structure for use in derivatives of the Boxster, Cayman and Carrera. The requirements of highly supercharged units were also considered for the 911 Turbo. With modular engines, it was possible to achieve synergy effects in the development process and economies of scale as well as integrate economical variants in the construction kit, ?.

In addition to a high proportion of identical parts such as

connecting rods

valve drive

belt drive

valve cover

oil supply

sensors and actuators

connecting rod and crankshaft bearings

high-load threaded joints (connecting rod, cylinder head, thrust block, etc.).

great importance was attached to the economical manufacture of components for variants. The cylinder crankcases and cylinder heads for all displacement variants, for example, are manufactured using a shared external mould. The variants are generated using specific sand cores and liners in the case of the crankcase. At the same time, these components are manufactured on joint production lines because they are processed in the same way. From an economic viewpoint, this approach is ideal for generating variants with consideration for the technical characteristics of individual derivatives. In the standard applications implemented today, the construction kit covers a displacement spread of 2.7 to 3.8 l, a power range extending from 195 to 412 kW and maximum engine speeds of 9000 rpm (in the 911 GT3) and is used in all current Porsche flat-six engines installed in production sports cars:

Boxster (2.7 l, 195 kW) and Boxster S (3.4 l, 232 kW)

Cayman (2.7 l, 202 kW) and Cayman S (3.4 l, 239 kW)

911 Carrera (3.4 l, 257 kW) and 911 Carrera S (3.8 l, 294 kW)

911 Carrera S with power kit (3.8 l, 316 kW)

911 GT3 (3.8 l, 349 kW)

911 Turbo (3.8 l, 390 kW) and 911 Turbo S (3.8 l, 412 kW).