Filed under: SUVs, Green, Porsche, Volkswagen
Porsche warming to diesels
In yet another move demonstrating that Porsche is capitulating to the greener crowd, an industry newsletter is reporting that the German automaker's executives have overcome their long-time reservations about diesel powerplants and are considering such a vehicle for their lineup by 2010.
Reportedly, Porsche is studying a diesel engine for its upscale Cayenne SUV. This would be the second non-gasoline engine for the Cayenne, as the Cayenne Hybrid is expected to turn up in 2010 as well. The diesel would be borrowed from Volkswagen, a company Porsche has significant stake in. The platform-sharing Volkswagen Touareg has offered a diesel in the States since 2006 (you know, it's the one that pulls 747s).
[Source: Automotive News Europe - Sub. Req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brad 10:06AM (3/02/2008)
we have had V10 TDI Touareg's in the USA since introduction in 2004, just in limited quantities and select areas.
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Avinash machado 10:16AM (3/02/2008)
As long as they confine it to the Cayenne and do not start selling Diesel 911's, Cayman's etc I guess it will be all right.
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Michael 10:32AM (3/02/2008)
I agree.
almost Dr. G.. 10:44AM (3/02/2008)
i agree too.. but seriously though, if porsche wants to remain true to its name it needs to dump the base cayenne. stick with the new "gts?" and the turbo. but i guess that is the issue that has been looming around since porsche decided to mass produce an SUV for us americans.
Hike15 4:39PM (3/02/2008)
i completely agree
this will help porsche survive and allow them to continue building those great sports cars
it may not be a "real" porsche, but its funding the real deal
Korona 7:31PM (3/02/2008)
Don't know about a diesel 911, but a hybrid 911 wouldn't surprise me.
Richard 11:42AM (3/02/2008)
All Porsches should be diesel!!!!!!!!!
Ha! Ha!
Just kidding!
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dean 11:55AM (3/02/2008)
Seriously...a Porsche SUV in the first place is just...I don't know. Many would say that its an anathema to the idea of Porsche. Maybe a sedan is too. To the purists, Porsche can do whatever they want with the Cayenne, b/c its not a Porsche in their minds at all.
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71cuda 12:48PM (3/02/2008)
If Audi's will have a 758 ft/lb V12, then Porsche will need a 1000 ft/lb W16 to upstage Audi properly.
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zamafir 12:56PM (3/02/2008)
... yes because porsche's always been about paper numbers and not a cogent package et-al O_o.
rgseidl 3:14PM (3/02/2008)
Porsche isn't doing this to compete against Audi on the ueber-SUV front. After all, it owns 31% of Audi via its stake in VW AG. Rather, the diesel Cayenne is supposed to improve the company's fleet average CO2 emissions rating, which the EU is looking to set at 120-130g/km as soon as 2012, with heavy fines for every gram over the limit.
That is why Porsche is rumored to have selected the next iteration of Audi's 3.0L V6, which will deliver over 300hp. BMW already achieves such power densities with its sequentially boosted inline six, so it is likely Audi will be using the same strategy to uprate its own design. It's quite likely that a T2B5 version with urea injection for the US market is in the works as well, though there has been no official announcement to that effect.
http://automobilwoche.de/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080229/REPOSITORY/539137949/1005/REPOSITORY
It's highly unlikely Porsche would choose to offer VW's old V10 diesel, as it's heavy, relatively thirsty and based on unit injector technology. Audi has long been using common rail and, the VW brand decided a while back to switch to it as well - the 2.0L mill in the Tiguan is the first example. Third generation common rail supports pressures of up to 2000 bar and multiple injections per combustion cycle, so emissions and NVH behavior can be optimized simultaneously throughout the engine map.
why not the LS2LS7? 6:20PM (3/02/2008)
BMW's inline 6 does not use a sequential turbo system, it uses a parallel turbo system (and for no reason that I can see).
MikeW 7:44PM (3/02/2008)
BMW's diesel.
BMW diesel operates serially at low speeds, and then it transitions to is large turbo at the top end.
It is serial-sequential.
BMW's gasoline engine is parallel twin turbo.
JayP 1:05PM (3/02/2008)
I found an old (1982) Porsche book detailing the lineup. Somewhere within Porsche, there was thought about using the Audi diesel 4 in the 924.
Diesel just doesn't fit the Porsche persona. Just like a diesel Ferrari or Lambo. Audi uses diesel passenger cars, the R8 was natural. Could see Mercedes do it with a sportscar.
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993C4S 2:04PM (3/02/2008)
I am a long time Porsche owner, enthusiast and blogger. While I'm not a big fan of the Cayenne or the idea of a 4 door sedan, I understand the reason for it.
If we (Porsche fans/owners/enthusiast) want the luxury and ability to enjoy the models we have come to love (911 for me), then we must allow for a manufacturer's need to turn a profit and appease shareholders (I'm one of those too).
Successful people and companies must change and adapt with the demands of today's world. The public in general is calling for more fuel efficient and greener autos across the board. It would be silly for Porsche to turn a deaf ear to this.
As for diesel fitting the Porsche persona, I'm still struggling to define it. In all seriousness have any of you been able to define the "porsche persona" or "porsche culture"?
why not the LS2LS7? 6:23PM (3/02/2008)
If I ran my own auto company, I'd drop Diesel like a bad habit. If even half these new Diesels come to market, the demand for Diesel (also used as fuel oil) will shoot up, driving the price way up and that'll drive demand for the Diesel cars down.
It'll suck for any company that embarks on a 3 year plan to make a new Diesel motor, only to find a whole new landscape when the motor is ready.
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Toy Yoda 8:41PM (3/02/2008)
Your reasoning makes no sense. So, you'd rather build cars that no one wants and make a loss on them since you can't sell them at a high enough price?
you forgot something in your reasoning. If the demand shoots way up, compared to the supply, those selling diesel motors will obtain a large premium for their vehicles, this extra profit will attract others to develop diesel motors, once the supply meets demand, will there no longer be a premium.