Porsche about to venture into budget sportsters?

[rufio]

I dont know how all you members here feel. but i certainly feel disappointed if this was to go ahead as it will definitely dillute the prestine image of Porsche in my mind.

Link from : http://www.pistonheads.com/porsche/default.asp?storyId=12977

Porsche Popular Plus

Tuesday 24th January

Is Porsche about to venture into budget sportsters?

America's Road and Track magazine is reported to have begun speculation that Porsche is planning a spiritual successor to the Porsche 914. The 914 was introduced in 1969 and featured an engine supplied by Volkswagen.


914 Brochure

Apparently based on the Boxster platform, the new 914 would take Porsche into MX-5 territory providing those on smaller budgets with access to the premium brand.

[Brucelee]

If the margins are not there, I don't see Porsche going this way UNLESS they see this as one way to help VW.

Put another way, perhaps a slower and rebadged Boxster makes its way into the VW lineup.


That would make me gag!

[Pilot2519j]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

If the margins are not there, I don't see Porsche going this way UNLESS they see this as one way to help VW.

Put another way, perhaps a slower and rebadged Boxster makes its way into the VW lineup.


That would make me gag!

Bruce,
I believe that VW had come up with a nice kick ass roadster from a concept car they had shown in Europe. Why would you thnk that the would use a rebadge Boxster? Porsche doing that would be killing the Boxster marque as I see it. Pretty stupid and lame. As far as the initial question the issue of building a smaller roadster I think not really since Porsche has two new major products in construction , Panamera sedan car, and a smaller Cayenne and if you add the Cayman to the equation and back to prototype racing that to me seems a lot on their plate. The smaller Boxster or a more affordable Porsche for now I believe is a non issue.

[Ronzi]

Such a car is not totally beyond the realm of possibility, particularly now that Porsche has or soon will have 20% of VW.
The 914 was marketed everywhere but the US as a "VW Porsche", and I would expect something similar if it were sold through the VW dealer network. I don't see it being sold through the Porsche dealers.
A Boxster-based 2,000 lb speedster would find a lot of buyers. Maybe resurrect the 2.5 liter engine at around the same 200hp. At 10lb per hp, it would move.
Don't know if you could actually strip almost 1/2 ton out of the Boxster, although going to a fiberglass panel Targa top of some kind would be a start. Maybe whack a few inches out of the wheelbase and forget about carrying golf clubs.
My long-gone '73 914 2.0 is one of my all-time favorite cars. A real sports roadster, even with the anemic engine.

[Perfectlap]

I love stories that begin "Road and Track is rumored to have begun speculation that porsche is specualting a rumor that..."

I was about to send an email to my PCA Autocross chair to have all the 914 banned from events. THEY ALWAYS BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EVENT!
spill oil all over the racing line and hold everyone up for 30 minutes. The 914's continues to give Porsche a bad name!(I see these cars at Non-Porsche Autocross events too).

But they sure look great restored and look like a handful at 10/10's
But you got to wonder how much of a Porsche it really was if it was only a Porsche in America.
anyhoo..Boutique car makers have no business building low cost cars. It jeopardizes the brand image.

[roman]

So What!

[Frank]

That would definetly be a mess.There is no way that that will ever happen.That is like Rolls Royce making a $50,000 sedan,it will just never happen.....

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

I think it would be great if more people could enjoy the Porsche Driving Experience!

Those expressing concerns about a Low-Budget Porsche, IMHO, are exactly echoing the sentiments of the 911 Crowd when the 914 and the Boxster were first announced. The Boxster or the 914 do not appear to have Tarnished the Marque in the least, in fact, again IMHO, they raised it.

Any notion that a Multi-National Mass Producer of approx. 80k Vehicles annually is somehow a Boutique Automaker also strikes me as Off-the-Mark - a dated, Romantic, notion. I say "Bring it On!!"...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Ronzi]

Perfectlap wrote:
"...have all the 914 banned from events. THEY ALWAYS BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EVENT!
spill oil all over the racing line ..."

Back when I had the 914 I took it to a PCA auto-x class in the spring of the year.
One of the exercises was 3-lap skid pad, theoretically done so you could learn some throttle steering, etc.
Three laps around a skid pad was no big deal for the dry sump 911s, but with my wet sump 914, the oil all sloshed to one side, up and out I don't remember where exactly. When I got done with the run, it deposited about half the sump contents onto the pavement in a big puddle.
In a couple years running that car, it never failed on course. But I still remember that puddle.

[Perfectlap]

considering its main competitiors, Porsche builing 35,000 North American cars is definitely a boutique automaker. I mean Honda probably sold that many S2000's in California, Florida, and New York alone.

Compared to Maserati or Lamborghini sure Porsche is producing allot of cars. But Porsche isn't competing for sales with those guys really.

[Frank]

Very well put Jim.That definetly leaves a different perspective.I still don't think it is likely but overall it could be good for Porsche.

[Brucelee]

"Bruce,
I believe that VW had come up with a nice kick ass roadster from a concept car they had shown in Europe. Why would you thnk that the would use a rebadge Boxster? Porsche doing that would be killing the Boxster marque as I see it. Pretty stupid and lame"

Never overestimate the mangement of a car manufacturer. It has been done before and likely will be again.

Porsche MAY sidestep this mishap and they may not.

[natecooper]

It wouldn't suprise me. I mean since '93 Wendelin Wiedeking has turned the company around by doing things that many purists think were bad moves (Boxster, Cayenne). Purely from a business point of view he is obviously trying to grow the company, recently he quoted that he wants to sell over 100,000 cars per year within the next few years. A lower model Boxster sure could help this. The thing that confuses me, from what I've read, they are already making the worst margins on the Boxster compared to anything else in their line up. This means they would need to bring costs WAY down on the price of production. Hell, I'm not opposed to owning a 914 as my daily driver with my Boxster in the garage.

[porschegeorg]

I loved the way the gasoline dripped from my 914 fuel injectors directly onto
my 200 degree exhaust. Yes, let's bring back the 914. Meanwhile, I'll buy
stock in fire extinguisher manufacturers.

[Brucelee]

The issue of expanding the line is putting quite a strain on the dealer network. Many of these facilities will need to be expanded or abandoned.

Interesting issue, this strategy.

We will know the outcome by say 2012.