Crosspost from 6speed: New Information on upcoming 991 Facelift
11-23-2014, 11:55 PM
#46
Rennlist Member
The Cayman (or a Boxster) is a mid-engine car with the engine right behind the seats, last I checked. A souped up 3.8L NA flat six can be mounted there and many have done it. So... if one is after mid-engin low-polar dynamics with enough power, there is an offering from Porsche. A 960 clearly did not made sense for Porsche, or so they decided...
My reference to the Cayman was that they have such a mid-engined sports car, it's just not a supercar that competes with the 458 or Huracan. Whether you think they should be competing in that field is really the question.
(Well, really whether they thing.)
11-24-2014, 12:09 AM
#47
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
The 960/988 made a lot of sense to me, actually. It fills the void of a two-seater, seats up against the engine, mid-engine supercar. Porsche doesn't have one. The 918 Spyder doesn't compete with anything Ferrari buyers would buy, except LaFerrari, and that doesn't count.
Porsche just has the Cayman.
Porsche just has the Cayman.
11-24-2014, 12:23 AM
#48
Rennlist Member
11-24-2014, 09:45 AM
#49
What the heck is a Panamera? Oh yeah, I rather enjoy that magazine. Didn't get the GTS issue, though.
11-25-2014, 02:55 AM
#50
Rennlist Member
And, some more quotes that build upon (in a slightly more positive manner) the report by Autocar:
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/p...21-11qyh5.html
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/p...21-11qyh5.html
Porsche has refuted claims its mid-engined Ferrari-fighting supercar has been cancelled - again.
But Porsche research and development boss Wolfgang Hatz told Drive at this week's Los Angeles motor show that the car is still on the company's wishlist but has been pushed down the list of priorities as it invests heavily in replenishing its current lineup.
"Cancelled is not the right way [to say this]," he said.
"We have not finally decided the SOP (start of production), so at the moment we have so many other things to do – to develop some entirely new cars such as Panamera successor and Cayenne successor and the next-generation of our sports cars, and on the other side new engines, transmissions and hybrids as well as the [Le Mans] racing program.
"So the workload is the critical point for us."
"Cancelled is not the right way [to say this]," he said.
"We have not finally decided the SOP (start of production), so at the moment we have so many other things to do – to develop some entirely new cars such as Panamera successor and Cayenne successor and the next-generation of our sports cars, and on the other side new engines, transmissions and hybrids as well as the [Le Mans] racing program.
"So the workload is the critical point for us."
"I think it is not the right thing to do to produce the next car right after this [918 Spyder] one. It will take some time," he told Drive.
"[The] 918 was always a moon shot project in terms of technology and we cannot do all of that in just two years. There will be some time, but sure we will have to do something."
With additional models such as the 988 and mid-sized Pajun (or Panamera Junior) on ice, Hatz also denied that its parent Volkswagen Group, which derives a fair portion of its profits from Porsche to invest in its other brands, is holding the company's expansion plans back.
"No, we just have a workload which is unebelievable - and that's a major point of what we can do within the group," he said.
"Wait and see, because we are doing so many other cars in the future. It's really tough at the moment. A lot of work for us."
"[The] 918 was always a moon shot project in terms of technology and we cannot do all of that in just two years. There will be some time, but sure we will have to do something."
With additional models such as the 988 and mid-sized Pajun (or Panamera Junior) on ice, Hatz also denied that its parent Volkswagen Group, which derives a fair portion of its profits from Porsche to invest in its other brands, is holding the company's expansion plans back.
"No, we just have a workload which is unebelievable - and that's a major point of what we can do within the group," he said.
"Wait and see, because we are doing so many other cars in the future. It's really tough at the moment. A lot of work for us."
11-25-2014, 01:51 PM
#51
Nordschleife Master
And, some more quotes that build upon (in a slightly more positive manner) the report by Autocar:
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/p...21-11qyh5.html
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/p...21-11qyh5.html
11-25-2014, 03:44 PM
#52
re: 960/988...my take!
I just re-read the Autocar report, it doesn't actually say they canceled the project. It just says they're focusing on other things right now (rightfully so, because they're current moneymakers). I'm fairly confident they'll still come out with the 960/988 eventually, just might be delayed a bit, just like everything else has been slightly delayed this year from them.
I have posted the following (with working 'links' to all the articles & forum threads) on the 991 gt3 forum (which is captured in images below). Perhaps some of you might find it interesting reading:
https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3/...l#post11815206
Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel
.
11-25-2014, 07:51 PM
#54
Racer
I may very well wait until the very end to buy a NA GTS. I just cant imagine a smaller displacement turbo-charged engine will have the soul that my current 991s engine has.
11-25-2014, 07:56 PM
#55
Race Director
11-26-2014, 01:45 AM
#56
Rennlist Member
I hope Porsche maintains that distinction. They have enough cars in their fleet that a few thousand NA GT3 / GT3 RS's shouldn't make a dent in their overall compliance numbers.
11-26-2014, 03:19 PM
#57
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Silverstone, Great Britain.
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
He said "expect to see more added extras as standard for the last run of the GTS"
11-26-2014, 04:01 PM
#58
Green: Quite honestly...it wasn't a 'reverse hostile takeover' in the true sense of the word. It was a 'rescue'. Let me explain. Indeed the plan of the PAG's board as executed by CEO Wendelin Wiedeking suffered a 'reversal of fortunes' when the bank's refused to refinanced the debt taken on by PAG to buy the majority shares of VW. It was then that Ferdinand Piëch convinced the VW Group's board to come to the rescue and loan PAG the money necessary to unwind from the 'hole' they (PAG) had dug themselves into. Quite frankly, it was the most dazzling move I have ever seen played on a corporate board game. It was truly a checkmate of historic proportions...and brilliant in it's execution! And the winner was Mr. Piëch...both as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the VW Group and as a significant stockholder of Porsche Automobil Holding SE! I don't think in my lifetime I have seen a strategic corporate move BETTER than this!
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/8406...made-cars.html
Your UK dealer told you to expect added options as standard in the GTS model in the last months of MY2015 production next Spring? Are you sure this is what you heard? The reason I am skeptical is that it would betrayed the trust current GTS customers have placed on PAG by ordering the MY2015 GTS package with the current set specs & option pricing. If it gets 'better' in a few months time for those ordering late MY2015's GTS, it will not be 'fair' to the early adopters & frankly doesn't make marketing sense!
IF on the other hand you are talking .2 MY2016 GTS models after next June, that is a different kettle of fish!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel
.
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/8406...made-cars.html
My thinking too... I spoke to my OP dealer who says the GTS will probably be available to order till May/June next year, then the smaller engined turbo cars will start to arrive in August 2016...He said "expect to see more added extras as standard for the last run of the GTS"
IF on the other hand you are talking .2 MY2016 GTS models after next June, that is a different kettle of fish!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel
.
11-26-2014, 05:33 PM
#59
Three Wheelin'
I always wondered how VW's M&A team explained that one to their Board of Directors.
11-27-2014, 12:07 PM
#60
As an M&A guy and a car guy, I agree. However, I've always thought that BMW pulled off the best coup after VW "beat" them in their bid to purchase Rolls-Royce and Bentley, only to discover afterward that the Rolls-Royce name didn't come with the deal. That name is controlled by Rolls-Royce plc, the aircraft engine manufacturer. And while VW was buying 30 year old car designs and a 100 year old factory, BMW had surreptitiously licensed the Rolls-Royce name for later use on its newly designed cars.
I always wondered how VW's M&A team explained that one to their Board of Directors.
I always wondered how VW's M&A team explained that one to their Board of Directors.
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/29/ne...t-rolls.t.html
In retrospect, VW has done pretty damn well with Bentley, posting sales of 10,120 luxury vehicles in fiscal 2013 vs 3,630 for its Rolls-Royce competitor.
Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel
