VW's Winterkorn reportedly proposes a trio of new Porsches
2010 Porsche Panamera - Click above for a high-res image gallery
VW CEO Martin Winterkorn appears to be laying out a future for Porsche that could make the company happier, but might not please its core customers... again. Of course, the impetus is to increase volume. Porsche sold nearly 100,000 vehicles in its last fiscal year -- but won't get anywhere close to that this fiscal year -- but Winterkorn wants the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer to put out 150,000 units annually by 2013.
More volume means selling more of what they've got, or making something new to sell. The new proposed direction is the latter: three new models, two of which would be lower-cost numbers-makers. There were no details given beyond market placement, but the first car would slot in below the Boxster. If you have images of a 914 sputtering through your head, banish the thought -- Winterkorn promises that VW will not make Porsches.
The second car has been referred to as a "baby brother" for the Cayenne, or a Porsche version of VW's Tiguan. That could be the mini-ute that Porsche and Audi have spent the past few years denying its existence. At the top is another version of the Panamera, maybe one with the same stellar interior and driving abilities but with a stellar back end to match. No matter what they end up looking like, the real point is that you'll be seeing a lot more Porsches on the roads soon.
Gallery: 2010 Porsche Panamera
[Source: AutoBild (translated) via German Car Blog]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
nderwater 10:09AM (8/24/2009)
...And as volume increases the resale values of late model Porsches will continue to fall.
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elpyrodude 10:11AM (8/24/2009)
...which would be perfect for me to get into a used one!
Kip 11:56AM (8/24/2009)
Not necessarily. The used market will be impacted somewhat to people's reaction to the new product. One of the reasons the 993 is holding it's value compared to the 996 is many die hard Porschephiles believe the 993 was the last real Porsche (being the last air-cooled and all). If the new product under VW ownership is crap or perceived as an insult to "true" Porsche owners, the used cars will carry a premium. If the new product is good and true to the brand, then you're right. The increased volume will help push used prices down. That being said, if VW's track record is any indication, and this is coming from someone with two, older watercooled VWs in the garage, owners of older Porsches won't have to worry about the value of their cars.
Affalterbach 10:04AM (8/24/2009)
And I thought Wiedeking was bad....
These VWites will stop at nothing and will completely whore out the brand. Here's a future BMW in the making (pointless niche vehicles).
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Gav 10:05AM (8/24/2009)
So my predictions are a Porsche Bluesport, a Panamera estate and a Porsche Up! to take on the Aston Martin Cygnet.
Or maybe VW should let Porsche sell more keyrings?
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Mirko 10:11AM (8/24/2009)
A mid-engined 4-cylinder sportscar for less than a Boxster - that would definitely be interesting.
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catchmyshadow 10:12AM (8/24/2009)
"Winterkorn promises that VW will not make Porsches."
most important message in that news
so, coming up:
1. a midengined Mini-Roadster (on the platform of the Bluesport concept)
2. a 2-door Coupe (on the panamera platform)
3. a Baby Cayenne (on the platform of the tiguan or Q3)
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BoxerFanatic 4:06PM (8/24/2009)
Where a bluesport-based car is a VW chassis.
Where a Tiguan-based smaller SUV is a VW chassis.
The only one interesting would be a Porsche 928 revival, shrunk down from the Panamera.
Yeah, so VW won't make Porsches... except for the Porsches that are based on VWs... like Cayenne already shares a chassis with Touareg.
A new 944, no such luck, though, I guess.
If they want a lower cost Boxster, introduce a new boxster with fewer standard features, and a trimmed down H4.
A transverse inline VW/Audi powered roadster based on Bluesport will not be a Porsche. Just like people said that 914 wasn't a Porsche, nor 924... Both projects that were supposed to be joint programs with VW/Audi, that Porsche ended up carrying entirely, while still having been designed for the compromise between brands.
RG 10:15AM (8/24/2009)
Baby Boxster? Sounds good, although VW's BlueSport concept might be a better car.
Different Panamera? The description sounds awfully cryptic, but a 928 revival sounds good.
Baby Cayenne? No. Just no.
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BigMcLargeHuge 10:21AM (8/24/2009)
Agreed, new 928 FTW!
sparrk 3:35PM (8/24/2009)
914 and 928 FTW, but why not a baby Cayenne ?
let the soccer moms have the Cayenne and the active young people get something more fun, like a Porsche X1. i would buy a new 914 and the baby Cayenne (Roxster probably).
happyfun86 10:18AM (8/24/2009)
Uh, couldn't they just leave Porsche alone and de-value VW and Audi? I mean, these sound like the types of strategies GM would use on Pontiac or Cadillac. Besides, just because the Cayenne was/is a hit doesn't mean it's gonna work again. Maybe I'm not the average consumer, but if Porsche gains another SUV of any sort, they'll lose their sports car reputation (and thus, most of their current appeal) in my eyes. A couple of mid- and rear-engine cars don't make a company exciting when they're also selling sedans and multiple SUVs.
On the plus side, if the Panamera model mentioned is the coupe that Road & Track wrote about in their last issue, then that would be pretty cool. I mean, the back end looked worlds better than the current Panamera sedan.
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artandcolour 10:25AM (8/24/2009)
there was nothing wrong with the design or execution of the 914, in either 4 or 6 cylinder forms. it was exactly what it purported to be: an entry level porsche. it handled brilliantly, looked like nothing else on the road and was built to a high standard. yes, it had VW in it, but then, the original 924 was an audi design. i think the final product is what counts, and the 914 was a decent sports car. i would love to have one today.
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ME 10:26AM (8/24/2009)
"VW will not make Porsches"
"a Porsche version of VW's Tiguan"
Don't those two statements directly contradict each other?
"the impetus is to increase volume"
Why? Hasn't the whole thing with GM shown that volume, and having a million different models is NOT successful? Didn't Toyota start down this road and is now turning back?
I guess I don't get it, it seems like the total car market has LESS volume, and in that case a company that can survive making less (although expensive) cars will be better off in the long run.
Yea, I am one of those "core customers", I drive an air cooled 911, and Porsche hasn't built anything I am interested in since 2004.
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catchmyshadow 11:07AM (8/24/2009)
not at all, see, the cayenne has been made on the Touareg platform. so both have got the same size but apart from that (and the Audi V6 engine), all 3 other engines, drivetrains, suspension, interior etc. Porsche has created on their own.
longbowmkii 10:58AM (8/24/2009)
hm... so much for brand exclusivity. the reason you get a ferrari isnt because its one of the best performing roadcars, its because its a ferrari. porsche's brand isnt that strong, but when you say you own a porsche people know its a serious sports car. if this goes through itll be further dilluted. do you own a hardcore sports car...or a rebadged VW suv? selling out a name plate for increased volume just doesnt make sense in the long term. you get plenty of volume with VW. want executive volume? you have audi.
porsches arent even exciting now that most of them are the cayenne. used to be, 'oo look a porsche!' now its 'how much do you want to bet that porsche is driven by a upper middle class yuppy housewife?...yep, it is'
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catchmyshadow 11:15AM (8/24/2009)
"porsche's brand isnt that strong"
apart from the world financial crisis and their stuoid idea to onw VW, Porsche is the most profitable carmaker on earth.
"if this goes through itll be further dilluted"
The cayenne is the best selling Porsche, if they wouldn`t have added the Cayenne, Boxster/cayman to their line-up they probably wouldn`t exist anymore. same with Lamborghini and their small Gallardo, which is the best selling lambo of all time.
i think the market would love to see a 928 successor, a cheaper mide engined roadster. not so sure about a baby cayenne, but smaller SUVs are selling like hot cakes in general, so all models are not the worst ideas imho.
CH 11:18AM (8/24/2009)
Well one could argue that Ferrari, since it's owned by FIAT, does dilute the brand by selling mass market Fix It Again Toni cars. And now even Chrysler will be in the same cake.
But then again I don't think Porsche should be a mass product, keep it high end and keep it sporty. The 914 and 928 successors would be a feasible idea since there already exists a precedence to it, but to put niche-market-SUV-like-road-cars under the name of Porsche, would go to far imho. Already the Cayenne, even though it prooved to be a huge succes, is damaging the Brands pedigree, but they made up for it by giving it the Porsche edge, Cayenne Turbo S pops into mind.
longbowmkii 12:25PM (8/24/2009)
@catchmyshadow
a full size SUV has a bigger market and sells more than a high end sports car? tell me youre kidding! [/sarcasm] adding the boxster/cayman made sense...those are sports cars. a sports car manufacturer making sports cars....genius! do you even know what a 928 is? it wasnt a cheaper mid engine option. BTW, they already make that, its called the boxster/cayman. a modern 928 would be like a panamera coupe. about as fast and more driver friendly than the RR 911. just like the 928 was compared to the 911 in the 80's. i'd have no problem with porsche building a GT type car like that. but a tiguan? thats going to entirely tarnish the brand image.
@CH
ferrari is still pretty independent of fiat. fiat isnt trying to rebadge all their pandas as new ferraris, like it seems vw wants to do with porsche. sure, the ferrari motors are going into maseratis and even the 8C. but those arent exactly volume vehicles.
taking a reputable niche brand and forcing it into volume sales just screams bad business idea. people get one, because its a porsche, and that screams i was born to race and win! but more and more thats being drowned out by its a porsche, won't you look me, im better than those other soccer moms with their lexuses.
sparrk 7:59PM (8/24/2009)
longbowmkii , you didn't understand what catchmyshadow said.
also what the hell is wrong with them making a smaller Cayenne ? if they can make a smaller roadster , why not a smaller SAV/crossover ? Audi is making the Q3, that will be a great platform for a fast , nimble SAV.