Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Politics at Porsche a changing company

The politics at Porsche intrigue me as of late. I think with everything going on it could make a good movie.

Wendelin Weideking the former chief of Porsche bought 51 percent of VW awhile back.VW's second largest shareholder
the state of lower Saxony owns 20 percent, and the way that deal is structured made it difficult for Porsche to take total contol of VW even with majority shares.A quatar emirate is also involved as it bought up interest in Porsche and ended up with 17 percent of VW. Porsche over roughly a four year period continued to try gain contol of VW, runs up a huge debt (10 billion euros)and VW's chairman Ferdinand Piech grandson to Porsche's founder Ferdinand Porsche, and cousin to Porsche chairman Wolfgang Porsche ends up in control.

Wolfgang Porsche who supports Wiedeking actually cries at the announced Wiedeking departure as Piech sends him packing with of course a hefty sum of cash so Wendelin will not have to go hungry.Wiedeking had been chairman since 1993 and took over when Porsche was almost bankrupt. The boxster, cayenne,panamera,and the regular, s , rs ,turbo pecking orders for porshe models all came fron Wiedeking.Porsche also went from close to bankruptcy to being the most profitable car company in the world under Wiedeking, but he's gone.

Ferdinand Piech is in control now< names Michaul Macht an engineer best known for platform sharing at Porsche as Wiedekings replacement.This is close to where Porsche is today.

Platform sharing probably not a good thing if Porsche is platform sharing with VW/Audi on sport utes, small convertibles,mini sedans...No doubt we might see a Panamera coupe, hybrid cayennes, diesel technology from Audi slipping into a small Cayenne type vehicle that shares a platform with the vw tiguan...I have read the porsche roxster as a possible name.Porsches mojo can definately be changed by bad corporate moves over the next few years...

My thoughts, a jumbo Cayman, larger in size than a standard Cayman, more powerful, simular to the Audi r8.This could be developed as a performance leader to eventually replace some of the 911 variants which due to their rear engine layout have to be close to maxed out in performance. If you do not believe that statement look at the 2010 911 turbo ,all the Nissan GTR type features[launch control fixed paddles dual clutch...) and if this was Porsche's response to the GTR/Porsche spat at the ring, the GTR still kicks Porsche's booty according to the recorded times posted.A jumbo mid engined Cayman takes care of the GTR problem.

How about a Panamera coupe to really replace the 928 which was way ahead of its time. Panamera coupe turbo, platform shared, same ride and performance as sedan...sounds like a winner to me.

Porsche is the ultimate to some, how about pilfering Audi's 12 cylander diesel, three models, small V8, hybrid electric, performance diesel... for the cayenne< I bet the diesal could be tweaked to really make the Cayenne a screamer for the performance set...new body panels need to show up here as well.


Club sport variations of what exists today, the new upcoming boxster is a start, Cayman, 911...at reduced cost

Sorry, woke up from my dream of running porsche,not moving to Europe/Stutgart anytime soon, no jumbo cayman turbo prototype as my company car, but I bet a baby boxster appears mainsream soon, sharing a platform with a VW. Sounds simular to the old GM gameplan...On second thought maybe I should call Wendelin, we could buy Saab,I could marry Tigers soon to be Ex wife...

Thanks for the summary of a very confusing state of affairs. I hVe to say however, I'm still none the wiser overall

One thing is clear.

Ferdinand Piech rules the show now but suspect he did so all along!

Have to say that anyone who can give us both the 917 and the Veyron is okay in my book!

I agree Robert, oil courses through his veins!

Whilst Wiedeking did a good job for quite a long time at Porsche, he forgot that the core business was sportcars and ultimately gambled the company and both he and Porsche lost. Game over.

The way that Piech has handled the brands in the VW Group gives hope for the future of Porsche, even though it is very sad that they have lost their independence.

Yes very much so Brian!

I suspect very much the clear winner in the post Wiedeking era will be Audi. I think they will have a more free rein to evolve at their upper end than would have been possible under Porsche control. Modern day Auto Union a possibility?

The main worry of course would be that Porsche itself could become stiffled under VW and forced to compromise it's values but with his family lineage I wouldn't expect Ferdinand Piech to allow that. Let's hope and pray that platform sharing is very limited.

I could however see Lamborghini being cut adrift at some point.

Kind Regards,

Robert

Just looking at it from a brand positioning point off view Robert, don't you think that the Audi R8 is the model that is more vulnerable as it and the 911 are chasing the same market segment, whereas the Lambo is not a mass-produced brand and addresses a different market segmentation and can be seen as a halo brand for the other lesser marques.

No great insight here, just random thoughts as I type.

B

You could very well be correct Brian.

Certainly I would have agreed wholeheartedly with that view prior to the assimilation (if that's the correct term)of the Porsche brand into VW.

When it looked like the Porsche would be taking over VW I was worried that the expansion of Audi especially in the upper sports eschelon would be severely curtailed. The R8 would have been the likely victim had that been the case being a rival to the 911.

However I get the impression that Audi are very bullish about where they can take the brand in the future.

My thoughts about Lamborghini are just a hunch. In fact although never a great follower of the brand (more of a Ferrari man) I like them for being different and radical but more so along with that they are now reliable. They are very special vehicles whereas I struggle to see that quality in the R8 which isn't to detratct from the enormous ability of the latter.

I think it would be to the detriment of Lamborghini if they weren't part of the VW group.

Interesting times I would have thought regardless.

Regards,

Robert