Funny Snippets of Porsche-VW Squabbling Over Glitches in SUV Launches
12-20-2002 | 09:38 AM
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From: Chevy Chase, MD
Funny Snippets of Porsche-VW Squabbling Over Glitches in SUV Launches
From Autoweek.com:
(08:28 Dec. 19, 2002)
Problems at Volkswagen force Porsche to scale back Cayenne launch plans
By DOROTHEE OSTLE | Automotive News Europe
Problems at Volkswagen have caused Porsche to scale back ambitious launch plans for the Cayenne, say sources at the German luxury sports car maker.
Porsche and Volkswagen co-developed the new sport-utility. Volkswagen's version is called the Touareg.
Instead of a planned "big bang" pan-European introduction of the Cayenne, Porsche shipped two models to each of 126 German, Swiss and Austrian dealers.
Each dealer in the three German-speaking markets got a Cayenne S and a Turbo demonstrator for a low-key December 7 introduction. Sales in the rest of Europe will follow in January and a US debut will be in April.
Porsche had hoped a major debut would make up for Volkswagen being late on the Touareg, which was launched earlier this autumn. But VW thwarted even that plan, Porsche sources said.
"We could have launched the Cayenne earlier," a Porsche manager said. "Our car was ready months ago. But the VW Touareg was not."
Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking insists the Cayenne was not delayed.
But the press expected both the Cayenne and Touareg months before September's Paris auto show.
VW wanted to go first, even though Porsche originally thought it had an agreement to launch the Cayenne before the Touareg.
"That was agreed upon, but suddenly it all changed," a Porsche source said.
Porsche planned to build enough Cayennes at its Leipzig, Germany, plant to ship each dealership in Europe two demonstrators and several deliverable cars in the autumn.
But Porsche gets its Cayenne bodies from Volkswagen's plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the Touareg is assembled. And only a few bodies flowed until after Touareg production was launched, Porsche insiders say. Parts from other Volkswagen plants were also slow. Porsche started Cayenne production in August, but had produced only 800 by early December, too few for a Europe-wide launch.
Porsche already has 25,000 orders for its first sport-utility. Porsche expects to build 15,000 by July 1, 2003, and to average 25,000 sales a year.
(08:28 Dec. 19, 2002)
Problems at Volkswagen force Porsche to scale back Cayenne launch plans
By DOROTHEE OSTLE | Automotive News Europe
Problems at Volkswagen have caused Porsche to scale back ambitious launch plans for the Cayenne, say sources at the German luxury sports car maker.
Porsche and Volkswagen co-developed the new sport-utility. Volkswagen's version is called the Touareg.
Instead of a planned "big bang" pan-European introduction of the Cayenne, Porsche shipped two models to each of 126 German, Swiss and Austrian dealers.
Each dealer in the three German-speaking markets got a Cayenne S and a Turbo demonstrator for a low-key December 7 introduction. Sales in the rest of Europe will follow in January and a US debut will be in April.
Porsche had hoped a major debut would make up for Volkswagen being late on the Touareg, which was launched earlier this autumn. But VW thwarted even that plan, Porsche sources said.
"We could have launched the Cayenne earlier," a Porsche manager said. "Our car was ready months ago. But the VW Touareg was not."
Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking insists the Cayenne was not delayed.
But the press expected both the Cayenne and Touareg months before September's Paris auto show.
VW wanted to go first, even though Porsche originally thought it had an agreement to launch the Cayenne before the Touareg.
"That was agreed upon, but suddenly it all changed," a Porsche source said.
Porsche planned to build enough Cayennes at its Leipzig, Germany, plant to ship each dealership in Europe two demonstrators and several deliverable cars in the autumn.
But Porsche gets its Cayenne bodies from Volkswagen's plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the Touareg is assembled. And only a few bodies flowed until after Touareg production was launched, Porsche insiders say. Parts from other Volkswagen plants were also slow. Porsche started Cayenne production in August, but had produced only 800 by early December, too few for a Europe-wide launch.
Porsche already has 25,000 orders for its first sport-utility. Porsche expects to build 15,000 by July 1, 2003, and to average 25,000 sales a year.
