This will be in the NY Times tomorrow. By RICHARD FEAST July 18, 2004 His title is president and chief executive of Porsche Cars North America, but that may understate the responsibilities of Peter Schwarzenbauer, who assumed his posts last year. About 40 percent of the cars - and now trucks - produced in Europe by Porsche A.G. pass through his organization on their way to well-heeled customers. There are many more of those customers today, thanks to the introduction last year of the Cayenne sport utility. The company expects to sell more than 34,000 new models in the United States and Canada in 2004, compared with the previous record of 30,500 in 1986. "The real difference, though, is that this will be a more profitable model mix," he said during the 911's press introduction in Germany last month. Mr. Schwarzenbauer, a 44-year-old German, previously headed Porsche's operations in Spain and Portugal. Porsche's heady sales in the mid-1980's included many entry-level 924's and 944's. Today, more than half are Cayennes, which often sell at prices approaching $100,000. In a few weeks, Mr. Schwarzenbauer's 204 dealers will start delivering the sixth-generation 911 to their first customers. The enthusiastic initial reception to the new model puts Porsche on course to top the North American sales record for that model, set in 2002, of 12,200 cars. The 911 has a large, cultlike following. New or used, the car almost sells itself - unlike the Cayenne or the Boxster roadster, which face more extensive competition and must appeal to more fickle buyers. But Mr. Schwarzenbauer concedes that the outgoing 911 (known as 996 in Porsche-speak) may have been too cushy to suit the tastes of some longtime aficionados. "On the other hand," he added, "it helped us to attract new customers." The imminent 997 edition of the 911 will be followed by a new version of the Boxster, which is expected to make its debut in September at the Paris auto show. These developments have prompted Porsche to think about adding 10 to 15 dealers in North America. Mr. Schwarzenbauer says the company would consider adding dealerships in smaller cities like Savannah, Ga., or Boise, Idaho, that could each potentially sell 20 cars a year. While the Cayenne is still controversial - a truck from one of the world's great sports car companies - it has transformed the scale of Porsche. Wolfgang Dürheimer, the company's executive vice president in charge of research and development, says Porsche expects to deliver about 75,000 cars worldwide this year. That's 50 percent more than in the years before the Cayenne. Now Porsche is extensively reported to be weighing whether to develop a four-door sport sedan to compete with models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati. The company will not comment on the speculation; such a car, if given the green light, raises the prospect of 100,000 annual sales for Porsche. The competition knows that the company could easily develop and pay for such a car. But these rivals, like many Porsche enthusiasts, question whether such a move would amount to extending the brand too far from its sports car roots, muddying an image that was once both crystal clear and solid gold.
Oh, I mean, it's a total photoshop / artist's rendition. I don't think anyone really knows for sure what it might look like. But, since they carried the 911's front hood roll to the Cayenne, I would bet that the sedan would have a similar line.
Well... as long as its an M5/S55/E55 smoking super-sedanish project I can see it getting more support than the Cayenne from the Porschephiles, not that it would get that much anyway. Just for the love of god, DO NOT TAKE A VW AND TURN IT INTO A PORSCHE. The Porsche/VW relationship had better not include a Sedan, damnit. No Audi or VW underpinnings please!
I was told yesterday that Porsche's bidness plan is to sell 60,000 cars in the US by 2006. Note that this is US sales only. Currently 50% of their US sales are the Pepper car. Perhaps they are hoping for a 4 door to get to the next level. Now perhaps you Twin Turbo owners know why your $130k car depreciated down to $85k when you drove it off the lot. Don't ask me how I know this. Dr "I have sold my TT" Tax
Cayenne peppers: General Description Cayenne Pepper is made from the dried pods of pungent chili peppers. This fiery spice adds flair to dishes from Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. Geographical Sources Cayenne Pepper comes from Central and South America and the West Indies. Traditional Ethnic Uses Cayenne Pepper is traditionaly used in Mexican and Italian cooking. Taste and Aroma Cayenne Pepper has little aroma, but it is extremely hot to taste. History/Region of Origin Cayenne Peppers were grown for thousands of years in the West Indies and Central and South America. Spanish explorers looking for black pepper misnamed them as pepper, and introduced them to the rest of the world. One of Columbus passengers, de Cuneo, wrote how the Native Americans ate pepperlike fruit like we eat apples. A Few Ideas to Get You Started Try adding Cayenne Pepper to salsa, avocado dip, taco, and enchilada sauces for extra zesty flavor. You can heat up a barbecue sauce or meat marinade with a shake of Cayenne Pepper. Spice up your tartar sauce or vegetable dips and dressings with a pinch of Cayenne Pepper. You can make SouthoftheBorder omelets with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and a pinch of Cayenne Pepper added to the eggs.
No worries. Hey, you went through some severe trauma lately. If anyone has an excuse for a brain fart, it's you!
I think it's great that they would develop a sedan. I think it's expected in this day and age that as competition becomes steeper and tougher, and the cost of labor and all other expenses increase, each manufacturer will want/have to do something to become more profitable. If they can apply their extensive knowledge of making successful sports cars to a sedan, it should be appealing to a segment of people who have been yearning for something with high performance besides an AMG Benz. I'm sure people who say their 911 is not exclusive enough or they should only stick to 2 doors would not be willing to pay an additional hefty premium to have a 911 if that's what it took to keep the company alive, because I'm sure many would look elsewhere for what they get.
They took a VW and made it a Bentley. At least a VW/Porsche sedan would keep everything "in country".
Very important difference between Porsche and Bently in relation to VW. Porsche is an entirely independent company and engineering firm with long-standing co-operation amongst the Porsche and Peich families. Meanwhile Bently is owned by VW. Also, Porsche and VW have only once shared a platform, the Cayenne. And the Cayenne was developed by Porsche and VW as a joint project (and how much of that was Porsche and how much was VW? It seems that the Cayenne platform was mainly a Porsche production anyway?) and was not a transformation of some pre-existing VW product.
Yes I to agree the only thing that we will see shared are window control buttons etc.. This isnt like GMC and Chevy...
I heard that VW was the primary contributor for that platform. Do not know the validity of that statement.
The original 356 was heavily VW based. The 914 was marketed as a VW-Porsche in markets outside the US. The 924 (which lead to the 944, 951 and 968) was originally developed by Porsche for Audi (it used an Audi powerplant and was built in a VW facility). At the last minute, Audi decided they didn't want the car and Porsche went ahead with it under thier own banner. Porsche has had a long tradition of basing thier vehicles on a pre-exisiting VW product.
I didn't feel like mentioning all of this because it'd be a long pointless topic because the 914 and the 924 were made by Porsche, and the VW beetle was a Porsche designed car. The 914 was a Porsche product, designed by Porsche using a plethora of VW parts, but certainly not the chassis nor any number of important features. Nor does it have any corresponding VW. The 924 was designed by Porsche, for Audi/VW and it used an Audi derived 4 cylinder. It was car that was produced and developed by Porsche, again sourcing some VW parts. Neither of those Porsche products were made in any real way by either Audi or VW (minus the engine in the 924, which was soon replaced in the 944 with a Porsche engine) Now as for the 356. Who made the VW Beetle? Dr. Porsche.
