The rumors swirling around VW’s plans for Porsche are flying around fast and furious. One day they are saying they will be adding more Panamera variants to the lineup, and the next they are saying they are going to kill the Panamera. Now, there is another rumor involving the Panamera: platform sharing.

This latest rumor says VW is considering sharing the 2010 Panamera platforms with some of its other brands. Apparently, Lamborghini has been ruled out as a recipient, but that leaves brands like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, and VW itself.

Speculation on what cars would use it would be the new Bentley Continental GT, or a new Audi sedan (to replace the A8 or slot in above it?) or maybe a new super-sedan from Bugatti.

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what is going to happen… might as well add this rumor to the pile.

[source: Motor Authority]

This report caught me off guard: according to an article in Britain’s Car magazine, the VW group is planning to kill off the Cayenne and Panamera after their product life cycles end in about seven years.

Despite the fact that the Cayenne has been a huge sales success, and millions of dollars have been invested in the Panamera, the board feels that the VW Group has plenty of SUVs and sedans without Porsche.

On one hand, lots of Porsche fans would love to see Porsche focus only on sports cars again. But on the other hand, how will VW CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn meet his goal of doubling current Porsche sales without their best-selling model? And don’t discount his recent remarks that two of the three future models discussed recently include a mini-SUV and another variation of the Panamera.

In any event, one thing is clear: change will be coming to Porsche under VW’s regime.

[source: Car Magazine via Edmunds Auto Observer]

Those earlier rumors about the Boxster getting a 4-cylinder engine are heating up. Auto Motor & Sport is reporting that Porsche is looking at shoving the Audi TTS engine into a cheaper Boxster.

The engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that makes 272 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That’s actually 17 hp and 45 lb-ft more than the current Boxster flat-6 makes.

By using this engine, they say the price of the Boxster could drop by as much as $9,000. But my only question: could you still call it a Boxster without a boxer engine?

[source: Auto Motor & Sport via Autoblog]

Back in September we reported that Porsche and VW were thinking about teaming up again to work on an entry-level roadster in the spirit of the 914. The talk was that it would be built on the (then yet-to-be-revealed) VW Bluesport roadster platform. Eventually, those rumors were put to rest, and Porsche said they were not considering such a move.

Now, Porsche production manager Michael Macht told Automobilwoche that Porsche is again considering such a car. As previously discussed, the car would be based on the VW Bluesport platform and use VW/Audi engines. Most likely would be the 1.4L turbo/supercharged TSI 4-cylinder that delivers 170 hp, and maybe a 125 hp diesel 4-cylinder, though I doubt the diesel is very likely.

The car’s target weight is 2200 lbs, so 170 hp should allow it to directly compete with the Lotus Elise. Pricing is rumored to be in the $40,000 to $45,000 range.

Although, another rumor going around is that the Boxster and Cayman line will be further differentiated, with the Cayman retaining a flat-6 and the Boxster moving to a 4-cylinder to be positioned as the entry-level Porsche. No official comment on that rumor though.

[source: http://www.motorauthority.com/report-vw-porsche-teaming-up-for-914-revival.html]

We’ve already told you that Porsche is planning a Panamera Hybrid, but now comes word that they are also working on a diesel and a targa.

The diesel is not surprising, since the Cayenne is also getting a diesel, but the targa is an interesting development. But with the shape of the Panamera, it seems pretty logical they could come up with a sliding roof setup similar to the one used in the 911 Targa.

Would this be the first 4-door with a targa-type roof?

[source: Autoblog]

Motor Authority got their hands on some spy shots of the interior of the upcoming 2011 Cayenne. It looks heavily influenced by the Panamera interior to me, with the center air vents moved to the sides of the center stack and a ton of buttons on the center console.

The 2011 Cayenne is reportedly going to be smaller than the current version, although it will still share its platform with the VW Toureg and Audi Q7 (both those SUVs will retain their current size.) The Cayenne’s wheelbase will be shortened by 4 cm and the SUV will be lose 2 cm of height.

[source: Motor Authority]

It sounds like the “entry-level” mid-engined roadster VW was going to unveil at the LA Auto Show will neither be at that show nor will it be an entry-level car.

A VW spokesman said the concept will now debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show. He also gave some more details about the car.

He said VW plans to launch the car in 2011, and it will be a halo model for the brand, not an entry-level model as first thought. He also said the car will ride on an upgraded version of the Audi R8 platform.

To me, this new information implies that Porsche will not create their own version of this car (since it no longer sounds like an “entry-level” car) and instead gives more credibility to the rumor that the Boxster itself will get a 4-cylinder engine.

(Also, note that the photo above is not the car they will show, it is a picture of the 2003 VW Concept R mid-engined concept car.)

[source: Motor Authority]

Rumors have been swirling about a new 4-cylinder entry-level Porsche, but now rumors are suggesting the Boxster itself will lose two cylinders from its current flat-6.

The upcoming European emissions standards mean even Porsche’s most efficient engine (the Boxster/Cayman 2.7L flat-6) doesn’t come close to complying, so Porsche needs to do something to offset the rest of its line.

If this happens, the Boxster will most likely feature a turbocharged 4-cylinder with about 200 hp. It is not known if Porsche will use the VW/Audi 2.0T, or if they will use a flat-4 based on the latest generation of flat-6 engines.

It’s getting difficult to keep track of all the current Porsche rumors, but this is certainly one to watch.

[source: Autoblog]

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]

Motor Trend is talking about a Porsche-badged version of the previously announced VW sports car that will be revealed in Los Angeles in a couple of months. The VW sports car is supposed to be targeted at the Lotus Elise, weighing in around 2200 lbs and producing about 170 hp.

Speculation about a Porsche version is just that — speculation. But, with Porsche gaining more and more control over VW, and Porsche’s recent talk of the possibility of 4-cylinder engines, is makes some sense.

The original 914 was a joint project between VW and Porsche, meant to replace both the Porsche 912 and VW’s Karmann-Ghia. In Europe, the 4-cylinder 914 was sold as a Volkswagen while the 6-cylinder version was sold as a Porsche. However, Porsche was fearful that strategy would negatively affect their brand in North America, so they made a deal with VW so that both versions were sold as a Porsche over here.

Personally, I would LOVE a smaller, lighter Porsche to compete with the Elise. It would be cool to see the VW version use VW’s 1.4 liter turbo/supercharged TSI 4-cylinder while the Porsche version could use a flat-4, since a Porsche engineer recently said it would be “relatively easy” to remove a couple cylinders from the new A91 flat-6.

[source: Motor Authority]