Porsche has made no secret about returning to four-cylinder engines, but power-hungry Porsche fans shouldn't fear. The first four-cylinder cars will likely be first used in the next generation of the Boxster and Cayman. Not only will these 2012 cars be lighter than the current models, but they may also be available with superchargers.

More after the jump.

Lowering the CO2 emission is humanity's main concern. And sports car need to also fit into this new requirements. As a result, huge engines with big C)2 emissions are not the solution for the future. And Porsche knows that and they start taking under serious consideration smaller, supercharged engines in a bid to lower CO2 emissions.

In an interview with AutoCar, the company’s sales and marketing boss Klaus Bening said: "There is a clear trend towards downsizing, using smaller engines and supercharging. We will find our own conclusion to downsizing."

First models to benefit from this smaller engine are the next generation Boxster and Cayman set to be revealed in 2012. This will be the Porsche's first step in an attempt to lower CO2 emissions with 25% by 2015.