Power has once again taken a back seat to fuel efficiency at Porsche, with the new Cayman range following in the footsteps of the 911 by providing a bigger leap in fuel efficiency than power output. And the German car maker says the shift in emphasis will continue. The man in charge of engine development for the Cayman, Jurgen Kapfer, says the company is looking at further ways of improving fuel efficiency across its range, with smaller capacity, turbocharged versions of its flat six engines the most likely option. But he says there will be no hybrid or diesel version of the company's sports cars and he ruled out a move to four-cylinder turbo power. "If you look at the engine bay of a Cayman or 911 it is like a tailored suit. There is no room. A four-cylinder engine would actually be longer than a flat-six," he says. He says hybrid engines wouldn't be practical for a sports car until lighter lithium-ion batteries could be used. "There are too many weight penalties. It would upset the balance of the car," he says. He also discounted turbo-diesel engines for the Cayman and 911 range, claiming high-revving engines were part of a sports car's DNA. "With a diesel, there is nothing after 5000rpm," he says. Kapler says "there is plenty of room" for development of the current series of engines in the Porsche sports car line-up, hinting that smaller-displacement engines were one option for retaining performance while meeting increasingly stringent European Union regulations on carbon dioxide emissions. "We had the last range of engines for 12 years and were always improving them. We have only just started developing the new range," he says. Porsche has taken the unusual step of introducing four all-new engines during a mid-life model upgrade. And for a brand that has always sold on power and performance, the emphasis on fuel efficiency is a stark reminder of the changes engulfing the car industry. The two new Cayman engines, smaller displacement versions of those in the 911, come just three years into the car's product cycle, demonstrating the company's resolve to reduce its environmental footprint. Fuel consumption on the base model's 2.9-litre six is down by up to 11 per cent depending on the transmission choice, while consumption on the S models is down by up to 16 per cent. The double-clutch, automated-manual version of the base Cayman uses just 8.9 litres per 100km (9.2L/100km in manual form), while the Cayman S uses 9.2L/100km (9.6L/100km in manual).  For More information on the Porsche Cayman click here