Porsche Executive Changes
 

Read this in the WSJ this AM. Porsche has a new head of Sales and Marketing.

Replaced with a guy from BMW.

Usually, this means bad news is coming right around the corner. Maybe not?

We'll see!

Hi,

To be fair, the title of this thread should not state that Porsche fired these two Executives.

According to the Story, Mr. Reidel left for Personal Reasons. While it's true that this phrase is often a euphemism for being Terminated or being asked to leave, especially at an Executive level, many people also often voluntarily leave a position for Personal Reasons - we should stick with what we know.

The story further states that Mr. Harmel is retiring, also sometimes used as a euphemism for involuntary separation, but, people also do indeed retire, especially at 64.

If these men were in fact involuntarily separated, it's tough enough to be in the job market past the age of 50 without an internet Blog adding to their woes. I think a little compassion is in order, unless of course these were the guys who gave the go-ahead for the Faulty RMS...;)

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

oh no
 

hopefully the new guys weren't reponsible for the design changes at BMW....the box goes Z4 :barf:

I think Bangle is solely repsonsible for that z4 debacle.

"To be fair, the title of this thread should not state that Porsche fired these two Executives."

To be fair, the title of this thread makes no mention of the second executive.

i like the Z4 there is a white one parked outside my window. Reminds me of a shark from the front. The Z4 coupe isn't as good as a CaymanS but its also 10K
cheaper and logically (ahem...) cheaper than its roadster brother.
I am a fan of what BMW are doing in their designs, looking forward without coming off Japanese looking. Their new look is becoming something of a trademark. now back to hunting for that 850..

I like many of their other designs, the 3, 5, and 6 for example.

Never could come to like the Z4 though.

really?
 

a man with as fine a car as yours can't be serious....I can take the Z4 in black only because it hides its terrible styling....some once said that Pontiac was looking forward with the Aztec's styling....not to mention a car you can camp in! I have a feeling the Z4 will share the Aztecs fate :)

I believe the designer is Anders Warming and I give him credit for being what's that word Avant Garde? :) I'll grant anyone that the design may be more theory based and somewhat bizzare vs. plain purty, but cars really have become so vanilla (except our Boxster of course..ahem) that its refreshing to see someone take a whole new appraoch. The Z3 was considered a real head turner in its debut and now we are ten years on from that design and many other companies aren't even at that stage today (cough..VW).
Some have given up on forward looking designs althogether and gone back to the past (cough.. 997, Mustang). Its like we are stuck in a sissy time warp..zzzz

p.s.
I agree the Z4 does look very nice in Black with those exterior chrome accents and red seats. :D
and I really do think the Aztec was an inside joke at Pontiac after a late night of drinking and drugs. Except people actually bought it! must have been that ground breaking refrigerated cooler.

The Z3 was considered a real head turner in its debut and now we are ten years on from that design and many other companies aren't even at that stage today (cough..VW)."

That is true. I am thinking it is time for a M roaster right about now.

While I completely understand your sentiment - accuracy is key - I hardly think statements on this forum affect them one iota. In fact, I wish observations and comments made on this and other forums were catalysts for change - or at the very least acknowledgement....

But then *POOF* it's morning again....

"...If these men were in fact involuntarily separated, it's tough enough to be in the job market past the age of 50 without an internet Blog adding to their woes."

This story was in today's Wall Stree Journal and other financial papers. I don't our little forum is going to make much difference in the scheme of things.

However, to be accurate, one guy retired and one guy resigned.

That is factual, as is the fact that Porsche has a new head of Sales and Distribution.

Perfectlap, I could not agree with you more! I wish I could convey with lengthy paragraphs how much BMW knows "what's up." But all I can say is...

"BMW knows what's up!"

The Porsche NA web site has copies of the full original Porsche AG press releases concerning the two gentlemen that left the company. While it's hard to probe beneath the corporatespeak, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly sinister about either replacement. Guys quit, and other guys retire, stuff that's normal in any big company.
Now, had it been some of the technical guys in charge of the ALMS cars, where Porsche is getting their butts kicked in two classes, we might have been able to draw some conclusions about dissatisfaction with results ...

Moreover, Porsche sales worldwide are better than ever, leading me to believe that these two really did leave for the stated reasons. You don't sack someone when they've helped make you the most profitable car company in the world, do you?

Helmut Panke out as BMW CEO
 

BMW knows. They are making there own changes. :matchup:

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060727/FREE/60724028/1024/LATESTNEWS

I wish they would fire the person who's supposed to keep tabs on the U.S. dealers. I just took my car into a recommended dealer for its one-year service (oil change, state inspection, a few TSBs) and they kept it for four days to do 3.8 hours of work.

Dude you are so right!!!!!!!!!

I just got a 2000 Boxster a few months ago and I went over to Braman Porsche in West Palm Beach and I got major attitude from the Service adviser there. It was like the guy was trying to see if I could afford to have my car serviced there when I asked about a few extended warranty programs that I was considering. Furthermore, the guy was a pompous ass. I now have to drive about 40 miles away to Champion Porsche in Pompano Beach and they treat me like a king. They could not get the straps adjusted on my convertible top done as promised for the July 4th weekend. My service adviser, Doug, called me to apologized and gave me a new Cayenne S for the weekend. IF only Porsche could get all of their dealerships to treat their clients the way Champion does theirs.

Then you're lucky to have the guys at Champion. This dealer gave me a rented Chevy Malibu for four days (cost them $140 vs. the cost to me of $249 for the service). They had a few Cayenne courtesy cars there, but, nope, those were too good for me since I didn't buy my car there. (I tried, but that's a story for another day.) Even at my Mazda dealer, I get a nearly new Mazda 6 and the car I bought there cost about a third of the Porsche. I know a lot of people who can plunk down cash for a new Porsche, but why would I send them to this dealer when I was treated like a second-class citizen?