Interesting comments by Dr. Wiedeking
07-29-2001, 02:12 AM
#1
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Interesting comments by Dr. Wiedeking
In the July 18th issue of Autocar, Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, Porsche's president, is interviewed. When asked if Porsche will return to motor sport and LeMans, he replied:
"I heard a rumor BMW is spending $150 million (British pounds) on F1 a year. Research shows that less than 10 percent of people are interested in motor racing. We have to come back, the question is when and where. I'm not clear on the direction. We have sponsors so the money is there, but not the engineering capacity. We need our engineers for the Cayenne and other projects."
He expects the Cayenne to increase Porsche's sales from 50,000 to 75,000 units a year, with 50% of Cayennes going to the U.S.
Porsche has the capacity to sell a hot-rodded SUV because of the great name it built up through a half century of immersion in motorsport. I can't help but think that models like the Boxster and Cayenne, if coupled with a flight from racing, will eventually dilute the great name of Porsche.
"I heard a rumor BMW is spending $150 million (British pounds) on F1 a year. Research shows that less than 10 percent of people are interested in motor racing. We have to come back, the question is when and where. I'm not clear on the direction. We have sponsors so the money is there, but not the engineering capacity. We need our engineers for the Cayenne and other projects."
He expects the Cayenne to increase Porsche's sales from 50,000 to 75,000 units a year, with 50% of Cayennes going to the U.S.
Porsche has the capacity to sell a hot-rodded SUV because of the great name it built up through a half century of immersion in motorsport. I can't help but think that models like the Boxster and Cayenne, if coupled with a flight from racing, will eventually dilute the great name of Porsche.
07-29-2001, 10:38 AM
#2
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you ever driven a Boxster? I drive a 996 (it's my second) and had C2s and one Boxster and trust me, if I didn't have a 2 year old to put in the back seat, I'd be driving a Boxster S... That said, I do agree that it's high time for Porsche to come back to racing.
JM
JM
07-29-2001, 11:48 AM
#3
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Jean Marc,
My point was not to denegrate the Boxster. I've never driven one, but I'm told that it handles beautifully. It could be a great car.
However, it can not keep up with many full-size sedans (e.g. Q45, S500) in straight-line accleration. For that matter, a BMW M3 will leave it behind on straight or twisty roads.
Porsche purposefully keeps it underpowered so that it will not compete with the 996. These sort of marketing over engineering decisions are what make me sad. I understand why Porsche is expanding its base, but apparently, it is content to do so at the expense of its racing efforts.
If Porsche continues down this chosen path, it will lose its heritage. For example, a Lamborghini is a great car, but it suffers from a lack of racing history.
My point was not to denegrate the Boxster. I've never driven one, but I'm told that it handles beautifully. It could be a great car.
However, it can not keep up with many full-size sedans (e.g. Q45, S500) in straight-line accleration. For that matter, a BMW M3 will leave it behind on straight or twisty roads.
Porsche purposefully keeps it underpowered so that it will not compete with the 996. These sort of marketing over engineering decisions are what make me sad. I understand why Porsche is expanding its base, but apparently, it is content to do so at the expense of its racing efforts.
If Porsche continues down this chosen path, it will lose its heritage. For example, a Lamborghini is a great car, but it suffers from a lack of racing history.
07-29-2001, 08:41 PM
#4
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anir,
As I said I don't disagree with you on the heart of the issue. My view is that I'm only interesed in 2 forms of racing: 1 cars that "look" like cars I can buy for the sreet and their racing series (e.g. 996 and GT3 Supercups) and F1. Anything else would never ever make me buy a car. For example an LMP car doesn't look like anything I can buy and hence I have no interest, just like I had no interest in Porsche's 917s but I loved the 935s. So far, Porsche is making more $ than it's ever had, we keep on buying their cars and we probably wouldn't stop (I'm on the verge of buying 993 Supercup to play and a Boxster for the week.... to replace my 996) buty it's probably time for Porsche to move into real racing again...
JM
As I said I don't disagree with you on the heart of the issue. My view is that I'm only interesed in 2 forms of racing: 1 cars that "look" like cars I can buy for the sreet and their racing series (e.g. 996 and GT3 Supercups) and F1. Anything else would never ever make me buy a car. For example an LMP car doesn't look like anything I can buy and hence I have no interest, just like I had no interest in Porsche's 917s but I loved the 935s. So far, Porsche is making more $ than it's ever had, we keep on buying their cars and we probably wouldn't stop (I'm on the verge of buying 993 Supercup to play and a Boxster for the week.... to replace my 996) buty it's probably time for Porsche to move into real racing again...
JM
07-30-2001, 12:58 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
What 10% is interested in motor racing? Is that 10% of the entire population? The real question is what is the percentage of potential porsche owners that are interested in motor racing... I'll bet it's a heck of a lot higher than 10%! If porsche doesn't keep its eyes on the ball it will loose it's current customer base while its engineering better cupholders for it's ill fated SUV.
I always thought, and it alway's reads in the history books, that Porsche was interested in state of the art engineering, and that racing was a testbed for engineering concepts and expertise. The "race on sunday sell on monday" was a moniker for the detroit boys.
Yea the 996 and Boxsters are good cars (driven both). But are they the great cars that represented the pinacle of engineering and art that the original 901's were? I'm not so sure...otherwise you would see it on the track kicking the doors off those M3/5's.
I always thought, and it alway's reads in the history books, that Porsche was interested in state of the art engineering, and that racing was a testbed for engineering concepts and expertise. The "race on sunday sell on monday" was a moniker for the detroit boys.
Yea the 996 and Boxsters are good cars (driven both). But are they the great cars that represented the pinacle of engineering and art that the original 901's were? I'm not so sure...otherwise you would see it on the track kicking the doors off those M3/5's.
