They can't build this car. There's no place for it. The TT is still fresh, and Porsche owns VW now and it can't compete directly with the Boxster and Cayman. Unless they discontinue the TT and give this car a 220 hp 4 cylinder engine and ask $30,000, I can't see where this car would fit in the lineup

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If this car is $25k I would consider it, but in the modern context, what's the point?

There are plenty of great sports cars for $30k these days. You might get some articles in some car magazines, and sell some cars to enthusiasts, but what a silly endeavor that has become. Another loser yuppie with his the top-down?

The VW's Concept BlueSport roadster would be a better investment. At least its a interesting use of technology rather then a redundant vehicle in an over-crowded market.

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Yeah, and now with a TTRS there is like NO place for a smaller fast car.

IMO the R4 should have a 375 HP Supercharged V8 but only a 3.5L one mid engined and cost about 70K fully optioned. AWD and 6spd manual or R-Tronic. Possibly a Diesel version with a little less HP but way more torque.

But that's MIO.

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Badge it a VW-Porsche and revive the 914!

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Sounds great, but read my first post. That's nothing but a Cayman or Boxster fighter in the same price bracket. Fail.

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@ temple "25K and you would consider it", why the hell would audi price a car in the R range at 25, they dont even have one model that starts at 25k, the a3 starts at 26 with no options, we are talking about the baby brother to the R8 which starts at something like 110.

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But the S5 is a large sports coupe. This is something else entirely.

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@ Mr_Pie,

The S5/A5 seat four. This only seats 2. There's room for this in the lineup, likely replacing the TT (I would've thought the person who rendered this would have taken that into account).

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Haha. It's true.

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yup, they decided that a while ago. It's a good thing this is based on the bluesport pics as the bluesport is just a thinly veiled R4 anywho.

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Don't think so.

Porsche would be insane to abandon mid-engined, longitudinal boxer layout.

This Audi, and the VW concept like it, are more like lotus, and MR2 used to be, inline or upright V-engine, transversely mounted.

If Audi/VW are smart, they will use the VW to take Toyota's vacated spot that the MR2 used to hold, and VW will be a bit more expensive, between that and a Lotus Exige/Elise, just under a reasonably-equipped Boxster, or base Cayman.

It would be a much more convincing sports car than the TT with mid-engine balance, rather than almost un-useable rear seats. Rear seats can be left to the VW Beetle, and the bigger coupe/convertible A5 model.

And the Audi should come with a coupe variant, like a junior R8, or a mid-engined TT coupe adaptation.

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d'oh... I meant to say that AUDI's model would move up from VW's position, just under Lotus and Porsche.

I wish we could edit our posts...

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"Porsche would be insane to abandon mid-engined, longitudinal boxer layout."

Just as they were 'insane' to abandon thier mid/rear engined lineup and partner with VW to build their SUV? Just as they were 'insane' to abandon their mid/rear engined lineup and partner with VW to build a sedan? Judging by your user name you're a porsche fan, you must be aware of their current focus on expending to sectors they're not currently involved in and recent heavy handed moves towards VW to engage in parts sharing.

There’s nothing insane about it. Given TODAY’s Porsche it makes LESS sense for them not to partner on the R4. It’s counter intuitive to everything they’ve done so far, especially the last 3 years.

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@zamafir,

I lost some respect for Porsche with the Cayenne. But not totally, because their sports car was still in place.

Porsche IS sports cars. Not just budget sports cars, but actually superior engineered sports cars. Cayenne diluted the brand name, but didn't dilute the sports cars.

Not just transverse engines because it is cheaper and easier to move a FWD drivetrain to the middle of the car, than design a car around a proper layout.

Transverse drivetrains are compromised, compared to longitudinal drivetrains. Driveshaft lengths, angles, transaxle layouts and size, heat issues due to proximity of tightly packed parts, and odd exhaust layouts. They work, but longitudinal is better.

Porsche HAS two of the singular mid-engined, and rear-engined boxer powered sports cars on the market right now, the 987 line and the 997 line.

Boxer engines do not work transversely, due to geometry, anyway. The engines are wider than they are long, so they fit longitudinally in a space similar to a transverse inline anyway, but the crankshaft is still pointed along the axis of the car. It would be far from ideal to turn the engine 90 degrees, and package a transaxle of any substantial robustness around the engine.

Porsche had better not lose it's longitudinal layout, or it's boxer engine design, because that WILL dilute the sports cars, which is far more detrimental to the brand name, and the entire tradition of the marque.

VW and Audi can have their transverse inline and V-engines, and transverse transaxles. They do work in their way. But they are not compatible with Porsche's engineering, layout, or tradition and expectation.

Diluting a Porsche Sports car to a non-boxer engine, and transverse layout, would do more damage to the brand the 914 and 924 projects COMBINED, and both were panned as VWs/Audis wearing the Porsche crest. 914 was at least boxer-powered and well balanced. 924/944/968, and 928 were at least well balanced with a longitudinal, front-engine-rear-transaxle layout that accommodated longer I4 and V8 engines.

Porsche doesn't even have the excuse of having a FWD basis to move a transverse engine to the midships position. They only have longitudinal drivetrains, even in their front-engined models.

So, again... Let VW and Audi have their nice tranverse-mid-engined sports cars, while Porsche stays on the high road, of technically balanced, symmetrical longitudinal layout, and boxer power. They don't HAVE to share. If VW/Audi can't make the business case, then they aren't trying, as it is a ready-made formula to build a sports car replacement to the FWD-biased 2+2 TT, and sell something that aspire to an R8, but don't have the means. If Mazda can sell a Miata, then VW can sell a GOOD alternative to the MR2 spyder, which toyota could have done much better than they did.

Porsche already does pretty well with it's sports cars, as is. Don't fix what is certainly NOT broken.

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