Most Porsche sports cars have been powered by flat engines, starting with its first car: the 1948–1965 Porsche 356 used an air-cooled boxer-four engine. Also using boxer-fours were the 1969–1976 …

A lot of people probably assume that Ferdinand Porsche invented the boxer engine; after all, the first production car to actually use a boxer engine was the Volkswagen Beetle, which, of course, Porsche …

Aug 14, 2024 · The boxer engine is most commonly characterized by its flat design hence it is, often, referred to as a flat engine. The first boxer engine was developed in 1897, by Karl Benz – the co …

Jan 26, 2021 · In fact, it was invented by Karl Benz in 1887, more than fifty years before the first 356 took to the streets. Called the ‘contra’ engine, it used two horizontally opposed pistons that reached...

Dec 13, 2025 · Discover how boxer engines work, their 120-year history, and why Porsche and Subaru keep the flat engine alive. Learn the benefits, drawbacks, and key models.

Feb 26, 2025 · The Boxer Engine was first invented by Karl Benz in 1896. Benz, who is often credited as the father of the automobile, developed this engine configuration to address some of the limitations …

Feb 27, 2025 · The first Boxer engine in history under the hood of a Subaru 1000 produced a compact, 1.0L engine generating 55 hp in 1966. Of course, the engines have gotten bigger and more powerful …

Aug 20, 2025 · Boxer engines with fewer than six cylinders characteristic a rocking couple (to create rotation with out accelerating the engine’s middle mass). This type of engine has been efficiently …

Nov 20, 2020 · For Subaru, the FF-1 was the first model to use a boxer engine, a unit that made 61 horsepower and 65 lb-ft of torque. It debuted in 1970 as the successor to the 360.

Dec 26, 2024 · These engines got the name “boxer” because if you look at the way the engine is laid out, the opposed pistons appear to fight each other—moving in and out simultaneously as the engine …