Sad quote from the "Father of the 993"
12-04-2003 | 10:49 AM
#1
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Burning Brakes
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From: Singapore
Sad quote from the "Father of the 993"
"Porsche is no longer a sports car brand because the company is now making light trucks," Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez says. "And with sales of 100,000 units a year, they are no longer exclusive."
Here's the link to the whole article on autoweek.com:
http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?p..._code=03989754
Here's the link to the whole article on autoweek.com:
http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?p..._code=03989754
12-04-2003 | 11:08 AM
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Burning Brakes
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It's all about brand perception. Trucks from Ford remain Ford. Ford isn't trying to schlep an Aston Martin badge on the truck and sell it for three times its worth! Just the same way you can't say that Ferrari sells compacts even though parent Fiat does.
12-04-2003 | 11:17 AM
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"Porsche argues that by broadening its model range and offering a V-6 engine on the Cayenne it is trying to survive and remain independent in a tough market. "
That tells me that it isn't a vehicle they wish to produce, but need to produce for economical reasons. At the end of the day, Business is Business and they're doing what they feel they need to do. It's unfortunate they don't produce only the vehicles that come from the heart but that's the way it is. I'm not too fond of the looks of the standard 'S' (I've seen many Turbo's that look great) but since I haven't driven it I won't judge a book by it's cover. My wife likes it but prefers the X5.
That tells me that it isn't a vehicle they wish to produce, but need to produce for economical reasons. At the end of the day, Business is Business and they're doing what they feel they need to do. It's unfortunate they don't produce only the vehicles that come from the heart but that's the way it is. I'm not too fond of the looks of the standard 'S' (I've seen many Turbo's that look great) but since I haven't driven it I won't judge a book by it's cover. My wife likes it but prefers the X5.
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12-04-2003 | 11:50 AM
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Jeff: Don't be surprised if Porsche is looking at producing a wagon. Standing on an overpass recently (Lucerne Switzerland), I noted that approximately 50% of all cars passing under me were station wagons. Wagons are VERY popular there because many families have space for only one vehicle. They don't want 4 wheel drive and look for good mileage because of the high cost of gas. Their wagon could take parts from Cayenne just like 996 and Boxter share. Just like most of us think--it sucks!
12-04-2003 | 05:38 PM
#9
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Jim - You are spot on regarding the market for wagons in Europe. Most households sport only one vehicle. In my last visit to Frankfurt I saw nary a Cayenne. They are waaay too heavy and thirsty. But wagons a ragingly popular, hence the RS4/6 etc.
15 - I am moving to Frankfurt at X-mas and we'll be getting an X5 Turbo diesel. (You guessed, my real name is NOT Gates....:-) Personally I would prefer a wagon (with 4wd) but the wife prefers the snow busting SAV. Since we'll be living on a hill with a steepish access road I guess it's reasonable.
To Bez: He's apparently full of it..... The car industry is cut throat and survival is much less easy than it seems. History is full of failed specialty manufacturors. The line about Porsche not having resources to go racing is a bit tong in cheek though....
15 - I am moving to Frankfurt at X-mas and we'll be getting an X5 Turbo diesel. (You guessed, my real name is NOT Gates....:-) Personally I would prefer a wagon (with 4wd) but the wife prefers the snow busting SAV. Since we'll be living on a hill with a steepish access road I guess it's reasonable.
To Bez: He's apparently full of it..... The car industry is cut throat and survival is much less easy than it seems. History is full of failed specialty manufacturors. The line about Porsche not having resources to go racing is a bit tong in cheek though....
12-06-2003 | 03:49 AM
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The notion that Porsche is "trying to survive" by making SUVs strikes me as completely ridiculous -- they were (pre-Cayenne) and remain the most profitable car company on the planet. Obviously, that industry-leading margin wouldn't matter if sales evaporated, but that is clearly not the case. They could easily weather the recent downturn in sports car sales with the margins they earn. The 997 and the next Boxster will almost certainly sell very well.
Businesses obviously need to make money, but if we didn't have a few firms that focused only on specialty items, e.g., sports cars, the world would be a far less interesting place, IMHO.
I remember a Porsche advertisement (I think it was for the 996TT) that read something like, "It's not for everyone, but it's everything to someone." Sadly, they seem to be rushing to become something for everyone.
Porsche used to mean "sports cars" period. I find it a shame that this is no longer the case. Recently, I was talking with a friend and his acquaintance. When I mentioned Porsche, my friend's friend said, "Oh, they make that new SUV." How sad.
Businesses obviously need to make money, but if we didn't have a few firms that focused only on specialty items, e.g., sports cars, the world would be a far less interesting place, IMHO.
I remember a Porsche advertisement (I think it was for the 996TT) that read something like, "It's not for everyone, but it's everything to someone." Sadly, they seem to be rushing to become something for everyone.
Porsche used to mean "sports cars" period. I find it a shame that this is no longer the case. Recently, I was talking with a friend and his acquaintance. When I mentioned Porsche, my friend's friend said, "Oh, they make that new SUV." How sad.
12-06-2003 | 08:18 PM
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IMO it makes more sense for Porsche to have built a sports 4 door or even a wagon like the RS6 or RS4 instead of the C. A sedan with shorted suspension and brakes like every Porsche would be great to own if you have a family.
I would personally put my money on a car like that. Family hauler and a proper Porsche at the same time. BTW the pictures of the 989 have me actually drooling and while its a scraped project, I hope and pray they do something like that:
I would personally put my money on a car like that. Family hauler and a proper Porsche at the same time. BTW the pictures of the 989 have me actually drooling and while its a scraped project, I hope and pray they do something like that:
12-06-2003 | 08:39 PM
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Gents,
We have no control over what the Porsche Board of Directors does behind closed doors (Ahem). To me, the whole thing stinks something fierce (I don't think we'll ever see a full factory supported race effort in any form again). All we can do is enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that we have an example of the last air-cooled/direct descendent of probably the finest racing engine ever produced car sitting in our respective garages.
We have no control over what the Porsche Board of Directors does behind closed doors (Ahem). To me, the whole thing stinks something fierce (I don't think we'll ever see a full factory supported race effort in any form again). All we can do is enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that we have an example of the last air-cooled/direct descendent of probably the finest racing engine ever produced car sitting in our respective garages.
12-07-2003 | 08:58 PM
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From: Taipei
I just participated in the Porsche Roadshow last Saturday, where they let us test the 911 Turbo, 911 Turbo Cab, C2, C4, Boxster S, and Cayenne Turbo in a closed parking lot and on some small country roads.
While the Cayenne Turbo cannot keep up even with the agile Boxster S, despite having more than 400 HP, it is still damn fast around the cones. I believe it is a good alternative when you need to haul your family around but still want to drive a Porsche.
Also asked the instructors why Porsche does not directly participate in any racing events. The reply was the allocation of resources towards making better cars for the owners......while maintaining affordable prices.
It was a Porsche sponsored event, but done quite tastefully without the usual hard sell.
By the way, the 911 Turbo was really really amazing!! I couldn't stop smiling while driving it. The PSM really kept the car in control....
Maybe I got used to having the PSM that day, because I ended up spinning my 993 on the way home....but that's another story...
While the Cayenne Turbo cannot keep up even with the agile Boxster S, despite having more than 400 HP, it is still damn fast around the cones. I believe it is a good alternative when you need to haul your family around but still want to drive a Porsche.
Also asked the instructors why Porsche does not directly participate in any racing events. The reply was the allocation of resources towards making better cars for the owners......while maintaining affordable prices.
It was a Porsche sponsored event, but done quite tastefully without the usual hard sell.
By the way, the 911 Turbo was really really amazing!! I couldn't stop smiling while driving it. The PSM really kept the car in control....
Maybe I got used to having the PSM that day, because I ended up spinning my 993 on the way home....but that's another story...
08-02-2014 | 02:47 AM
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Related discussion on vwVortex.com's "Porsche To Build More Trucks---Cayenne Variants" thread, including the full body of the 2003 article quoting Dr. Bez:
Porsche moves further from its sports car roots
By JENS MEINERS | Automotive News Europe
MUNICH, Germany -- Porsche is moving further from its sports car roots by adding a Cayenne with a Volkswagen V-6 engine to its lineup.
The German carmaker also could introduce a two-door, four-seat model as a fourth platform - another move that would upset purists.
Some analysts say that the Cayenne V-6 further will tarnish Porsche's image as a maker of serious sports cars.
Goldman Sachs says the car would "push Porsche's brand credibility to the absolute limit. It would be plainly apparent that it contained a VW engine."
Rival manufacturers also are dismissive of Porsche's strategy.
"Porsche is no longer a sports car brand because the company is now making light trucks," Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez says. "And with sales of 100,000 units a year, they are no longer exclusive."
But Porsche remains the world's most profitable carmaker measured by sales margins. While other automakers are experiencing sales slumps, Porsche is growing by expanding its vehicle lineup.
Led by sales of the Cayenne, the company's net profit rose 22 percent to 565 million euros, or about $641 million, in the fiscal year ended July 31.
Porsche has bought extra land at its Leipzig, Germany, factory, where the Cayenne is produced.
This gives the company the option to expand production capacity there for either a Cayenne derivative or a new model.
"It would make a lot of sense to make such a car at Leipzig," a company source says. "The production content would be similar to the Cayenne."
Leipzig produces 25,000 Cayenne SUVs annually. The plant is running at capacity, but demand for the Cayenne alone does not justify the purchase of extra land.
The Cayenne is available in V-8 and V-8 turbo configurations. In the U.S. market, the V-6 will be priced at $43,665, including $765 freight, compared with $56,655 for the normally aspirated V-8 Cayenne S and $89,665 for the Cayenne Turbo.
In Europe, the Cayenne V-6 is priced at 40,900 euros, or about $48,600 at current exchange rates.
The entry-level Cayenne features a 3.2 V-6 engine built by VW in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The V-6 is available in the VW Golf IV R32, the European version of the Phaeton and the Touareg SUV. In the Touareg, it produces 220 hp, while the Cayenne is rated at 250 hp.
The changes are solely the result of a tweaked intake and exhaust system and different engine management.
This sets the Cayenne apart from the Touareg, but the Touareg will receive these changes later in 2004.
Porsche argues that by broadening its model range and offering a V-6 engine on the Cayenne it is trying to survive and remain independent in a tough market.
Says Porsche spokesman Michael Schimpke: "The Cayenne is a bonus at a time when the United States, our biggest market, and Germany, our second biggest, have economic problems."
Originally Posted by autoWeek.com
Porsche moves further from its sports car roots
By JENS MEINERS | Automotive News Europe
MUNICH, Germany -- Porsche is moving further from its sports car roots by adding a Cayenne with a Volkswagen V-6 engine to its lineup.
The German carmaker also could introduce a two-door, four-seat model as a fourth platform - another move that would upset purists.
Some analysts say that the Cayenne V-6 further will tarnish Porsche's image as a maker of serious sports cars.
Goldman Sachs says the car would "push Porsche's brand credibility to the absolute limit. It would be plainly apparent that it contained a VW engine."
Rival manufacturers also are dismissive of Porsche's strategy.
"Porsche is no longer a sports car brand because the company is now making light trucks," Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez says. "And with sales of 100,000 units a year, they are no longer exclusive."
But Porsche remains the world's most profitable carmaker measured by sales margins. While other automakers are experiencing sales slumps, Porsche is growing by expanding its vehicle lineup.
Led by sales of the Cayenne, the company's net profit rose 22 percent to 565 million euros, or about $641 million, in the fiscal year ended July 31.
Porsche has bought extra land at its Leipzig, Germany, factory, where the Cayenne is produced.
This gives the company the option to expand production capacity there for either a Cayenne derivative or a new model.
"It would make a lot of sense to make such a car at Leipzig," a company source says. "The production content would be similar to the Cayenne."
Leipzig produces 25,000 Cayenne SUVs annually. The plant is running at capacity, but demand for the Cayenne alone does not justify the purchase of extra land.
The Cayenne is available in V-8 and V-8 turbo configurations. In the U.S. market, the V-6 will be priced at $43,665, including $765 freight, compared with $56,655 for the normally aspirated V-8 Cayenne S and $89,665 for the Cayenne Turbo.
In Europe, the Cayenne V-6 is priced at 40,900 euros, or about $48,600 at current exchange rates.
The entry-level Cayenne features a 3.2 V-6 engine built by VW in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The V-6 is available in the VW Golf IV R32, the European version of the Phaeton and the Touareg SUV. In the Touareg, it produces 220 hp, while the Cayenne is rated at 250 hp.
The changes are solely the result of a tweaked intake and exhaust system and different engine management.
This sets the Cayenne apart from the Touareg, but the Touareg will receive these changes later in 2004.
Porsche argues that by broadening its model range and offering a V-6 engine on the Cayenne it is trying to survive and remain independent in a tough market.
Says Porsche spokesman Michael Schimpke: "The Cayenne is a bonus at a time when the United States, our biggest market, and Germany, our second biggest, have economic problems."