Porsche planning entry-level sportster

Porsche is preparing to roll out a new entry-level spotscar which could hit the streets in 2016.

The open, mid-engined machine would slot in below the current Boxster and feature a flat-four boxer engine which is still under development, according to Germany's Autobild motoring gazette.

This would be the first time since the 1960s that Porsche has used the boxer layout which features two banks of cylinders arranged horizontally on either side of a single crankshaft. The unit would come in 2-litre and 2.5-litre versions, turning out either 286 or 360 horsepower.

The new car is set to be priced around 39,000 euros (54,000 dollars), said the usually well-informed Autobild.

This is not the first time that a baby Porsche has been mooted but the factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen has again declined to comment on the report.