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What Will Porsche Build Next?
October 30, 2008
There has been lots of speculation over the past year or so on what Porsche will build next, and after the news we posted in September about VW’s mid-engine concept car set to debut at the L.A. Auto Show in November, the speculation has reached a fever pitch. So let’s jump in and see where things stand.
Entry-level SUV
In early 2007, we started hearing rumors about the “Roxster.” This would be an SUV smaller than the current Cayenne, based on the Audi Q5 platform and sharing is powertrain options with the Cayenne. However, after Europe threatened to increase CO2 emissions regulations, it was put on the back burner. Then, in 2008, the rumor resurfaced again when Porsche started controlling more and more of VW. And a smaller-looking Cayenne test mule was photographed undergoing testing. The most recent rumors, however, suggest that the next generation Cayenne will itself be smaller, and the photographs are actually of the next-generation Cayenne. So I don’t see a second SUV line, aka the Roxster, as likely. Although, the new VW Tiguen platform would make an interesting starting point for a smaller, sportier Porsche SUV, wouldn’t it?
Entry-level Hatchback
In August of 2007, Coinciding with Europe’s talk about increasing CO2 emissions regulations, the rumors of the next Porsche turned to an entry-level hatchback, probably based on the VW Golf platform. It was rumored to get the Boxster engine, mounted in the front, and and all-new compact all-wheel-drive system. The car would compete against the BMW 1-series and the Audi A3. The rumors died down after awhile, but this year, when gas prices started rising, the rumor appeared again. I’m pretty skeptical that Porsche will go this route, but if they did, I think it would be more likely to have a version of the 2.0T 4-cylinder than a Boxster engine, since it would take a lot of engineering to get a Boxster engine into the Golf chassis, I think… but the 2.0T already fits. I like the idea of a small Porsche hatchback, but I doubt we’ll see one.
Panamera-based 928 Successor
In June of 2007, rumors about a coupe version of the Panamera heated up. First, someone visiting the Porsche factory in Stuttgart photographed a car under a cover that looked a little odd. They speculated it might be a 928 successor being worked on. Shortly after that, someone driving his 928 on the A31 in Germany was passed by a Panamera test mule… however, he insisted the car that passed him had two doors instead of four. Unfortunately, the only photo he got of the car was from the rear, which didn’t show how many doors it had. But in June of this year, Porsche denied working on a Panamera coupe (as well as a smaller Cayenne), saying they were already stretched to the limit with the Panamera launch. However, a Panamera coupe makes some sense to me. They already have the platform developed, and a high-powered, front-engined GT coupe would be a more traditional competitor to cars from Aston Martin and Jaguar, for example. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see a 928-successor developer a few years after the Panamera launch.
Entry-level Mid-engined Sports Car
When VW announced they bringing a new mid-engined concept car to the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, it didn’t take long before the rumors included Audi and Porsche versions of the car. The car was first being touted as a 914 successor, but recent reports are saying the 356 name could be revived instead. VW’s new sports car will reportedly be offered in both coupe and roadster versions, weigh in around 2200 lbs., and use VW’s 1.4 liter turbo/supercharged TSI 4-cylinder. The car is meant to compete with the Lotus Elise and the Mazda MX-5 Miata, and is shooting for the $25k to $45k price range. Since we will actually see a concept version of the VW next month, and Porsche’s Boxster/Cayman continues to move more up-market, it wouldn’t surprise me if Porsche develops a version of this car.
So what do you think. What do you think Porsche will develop next, and what do you want Porsche to develop next?
[sources: Leftlane, Motor Authority, about exotic cars, AutoGespot, AutoZeitung, Auto Express, AutoWeek]
Posted in Rumors
