PCA SDR

Porsche decided to make a switch a few years back from air cooled to a water cooled engine. What was the main purpose behind the move?
b

Emission control

Water cooling controls cylinder head temperature better which allows for lower NoX emissions.

Not too sexy, but that's it!

Don't forget water cooled is quieter, more powerful, allows 4 valves per cylinder and overcomes other design limitations that the aircooled version had in the modern era. And that emmision thing.

Of course, with water cooling if you lose your coolant you can lose your engine real fast!

Our Mercedes E320 blew the top radiator hose on the freeway Sunday night and cooked the engine within 30 seconds (i.e., before we could get off the road). New engine = $14,000... so... anyone need a 1996 E320 for scrap parts?

At least with air cooling you don't have catastrophic cooling failures.

Unless an oil line breaks in which case you cook your engine even faster.

bryanearll wrote:Porsche decided to make a switch a few years back from air cooled to a water cooled engine. What was the main purpose behind the move?
b

Porsche made the switch for street cars a in 1999. Their race cars have had water cooled heads at a minimum since the 1980's.