Germans are not known for wasting space. So when Dr. Porsche was asked to design a "people's car" he decided on a flat four-cylinder engine. The original Volkswagen design is what his son based the Porsche 356 on, and Porsche has used the flat (or Boxer) engine layout ever since. The Boxer name probably comes from how the pistons oppose each other, like the fists of fighters. They have so many advantages that Subaru and other manufacturers have embraced it over the years. The driving public probably doesn't know what lies behind the cockpit of their Porsche 911, so they decided to highlight the top 5 benefits of the design. Instead of a corporate lackey, they turned to the man responsible for perfecting the Porsche engine, Dr. Hans Mezger.