Entry-level Porsche (identical to Boxster but cheaper) put on hold
 

We Hear: Porsche Worried About Entry-Level Roadster, May Shelve - WOT on Motor Trend

"the 550 successor was originally slated to arrive some time in 2014, slotting beneath the Boxster and acting as the entry-level model."

They're putting it on hold for now, but it's based on the Volkswagen BlueSport concept which sounds exactly like the Boxster and looks very similar
2013 Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster Review and Prices - Consumer Guide Automotive

mid-engine
2-seater convertible
6-speed
~2,645 lbs
2.0 turbodiesel or 2.0 turbo
0-60 in 6.2 and 50mpg highway with turbodiesel

price: estimated 23-26k

The BlueSport is also on hold, but I was just wondering what you guys thought of this, Volkswagen planning a Boxster clone and Porsche making a less expensive "Boxster"?

the sub-boxster / 550 / bluesport that was on, then off... well it's back on... someday.

Porsche CEO Mueller: Sub-Boxster 550 Spyder Still On The Table

The main concern isn't the car's performance or the brand's technical ability to produce it--instead, it's a matter of brand image. If there's "any risk" the brand could be harmed by a lower-priced, entry-level roadster, says Mueller, it will be postponed to a later date.

If it does appear, I doubt it will have a naturally aspirated flat six, which it what it needs to catch my interest. Flat fours are nice enough, but they're just not as delightful as flat sixes. And turbo charging just does crappy things to the response and engine note.

A flat four might even be in doubt if it has to share a great deal of its engineering with VW. The VW version will almost definitely be transverse in-line four which is rather different from longitudinal flat four.

Done right with a flat six, it could be spectacular - probably would be similar to an early 986. But I can't see it happening that way.

it might boost the image of the Boxster though................

..........Or not.

Not actually dead, as it turns out.

Deep Dive: The Porsche 550 Revival Lives - Automobile Magazine

Only if this car comes in at Miata-type weight (2400-2500 pounds) is it worth considering.

Lots of problems with launching a new car into this segment, namely;

1. Miata. The Miata owns the inexpensive roadster market and there is a new model already on the way.

2. Audi TT. Porsche has to worry about cannibalizing TT sales.

3. Nissan Z. The Z has more power and performance. Yes, the Porsche name carries a premium but ...

4. Porsche 924. A lot of people will associate the 551 with the infamy of Porsche's last attempt to create an inexpensive entry-level car and stay away.

5. Branding. Does Porsche really want think of any Porsche as "entry level"? That is what BMW's are for. :D

Thus, Porsche would actually have to deliver a better car than the competition at the same price point and this simply isn't Porsche's forte - and especially not when they are focused on selling $80,000 trucks to soccer moms, $100,000 sedans to Chinese businessmen, and $120,000+ varients of the new 991.

This will dilute the brand. I'm sorry they want to follow BMW's business model. BMW used to be exclusive and high-end. Now, thanks to entry level BMWs, they're everywhere. What used to be a nice car that you worked and saved to achieve is now something I probably see fifty of every day when I commute to and from work. Here's hoping Porsche eventually abandons the entry-level.

There are two trucks and a huge sedan in Porsche's lineup now. Clearly, dilution isn't a concern to Porsche as the diluters are the cars that they actually make money on

Having said that, I totally disagree that a small true sports car would do anything but improve the portfolio. There's always been entry level Porsches. 914, 912, 924, 944 and the original Boxster were all compeditors with the entry level contemporaries. The Boxster has bloated into a GT that is just an artificial step below the 911. If anything, Porsche abandoned the entry level with the 986.2 and 987. With a real sports car, Porsche could bring the brand a car more true to the marque's heritage. If it's the buyer's goal to achieve exclusivity through purchasing a Porsche, they are already fooling themselves.

.

I was speaking to the exclusivity of the brand, not of the people who drive them (people can't be exclusive). Perhaps the persona of the brand would have been more to my point. If Porsche wants to stay a luxury brand, then bringing out a $25,000 version will take away from that. If Omega wanted to sell more watches and have them become commonplace, they would make some that cost less than $3,000.

I was wrong about the Porsche SUV diluting the brand, so it's very possible I'm wrong about the Baby Boxster. In fact, I have a friend who has had a Cayenne for four years and she loves the thing. It's everything she wanted in a daily driver. She'll replace it with a second one when the time comes.

*edit*

I agree with you about the size of the Boxster, by the way. True crow-eating will be when I buy the smaller Boxster a few years from now. I'll be sure to say goodbye as I move to whatever owners forum comes into existence for it. ;-)

Omega makes lots of watches for between $1500-$2000

but anyway............they are coming out with alot of models lately!

I think this will happen and here's why. A new Boxster S with all the goodies my car has as options (forget about the alacantra seats just options) PSE, PDK sport chrono, etc would list for more than 70K. Given the upward movement of entry level a lower less powerful segment is being created.

good point....a Boxster is far from entry level anymore! heck, my 02 S had a sticker of 59k!

The vw roadster looks a lot like the new boxster, only smaller.
 

There will probably be some cross pollination with it and a new Porshe model, much like the cayenne and vw suv. The new Boxster looks a lot like an old NSX I saw recently, much to my surprise.

"and acting as the entry-level model."


^ This is total crap. "entry-level" cars are for sedan builiders. Porsche, at least it used to be, is a sports car company. Each model has its purpose. If you want an uncomprised drop top you buy a Boxster (sorry Cabriolet), if you wat a tool for the track that is impractical everywhere else you buy a GT3, If you don't want pendulus cornering in your coupe you get a Cayman. Also, If you want "entry" into Porsche you can buy an old 911 or 944 any day of the week and save yourself a $500 monthly payment and in the end you'll spend a boat load less than making that last payment on new from the dealer Porsche.. If you buy an old 996 you can actually get a relibale car that won't cost you an arm and a leg for an engine rebuild.

The car media really needs to confine "entry-level" to companies like Mercedes, BMS and Jaguar. Or at the very minimum apply this term to a mini-Cayenne or or mini-Panamera since these aren't in the same realm as Boxsters, Caymans and Carreras.

944 is getting a little old, the maintenance on that engine blows, the long throw shift linkage is vague and gets worse as it ages. Air conditioning = useless, huge rear window acts like greenhouse and finally the engine counter balancers are eh OK, motor sound sucks, all in all I'd take an older 986 for the same coin.

AND unless you have your foot through the injectors all the time and the engine screaming, Cobalt SS and worse are going to blow by you anywhere but at highway speed on a highway. 0-60= a small coffee.

I LOVE 944s. As I have said before, I like them more than the 986 from a man-connected-to-machine experience. More road feel, more steering feel, you actually sit low in the car, and it's built like a tank.

It's built great but it's an old design, the hats, rollers seals and other items to chase after make repairs expensive at least as much or more than a 986. You won't be changing the belts from reading threads, that will be an expensive trip to the dealer. I had one, for a long time and loved it so I know what you're saying but I would not buy one in 2012.

Exactly why Porsche should build a new entry level car.

I would buy a 944 in 2012, BTW. Age doesn't scare me, my Rx-7 is 31 years old, I've been driving it for 25 of those and can't wait to drive it every time I get the chance.

I'd buy a 944 in a heartbeat...
 

always has been one of my favorite cars from that time period. If you do your own work you can live with one but it will take alot of work to get most of them sorted out. As far as the new "baby boxster" I hope it comes to market. Those complaining about brand dilution are buying porsches for the wrong reasons it seems in the first place. Yeah...exclusivity is nice but I have always appreciated the unorthodox way porsche has gone about building their cars (flat engines, air cooling, rear/mid engined, evolutionary styling, etc) more than anything. The new car will not sell at the same price point as a miata....expect it to be 8-10k above the price of a miata (mid 30's at least). Porsche would like to steal some of the miata's market share but they are not going to price their car's identically, the brand name alone will cause some people to stretch their budget more to purchase the porsche if it is a solid car. BMW has been producing relatively affordable cars for years (2002...3 series) so there is no reason porsche cannot do it as well. I do not think the appeal of the BMW brand has lessened that much and if anything it brings new people into the fold that eventually upgrade to larger and more expensive models.