The Next Porsche - what do you think?
 

PORSCHE® WILL BUILD FOURTH MODEL LINE: PORSCHE PANAMERA®
Board Approves Four-Door Sports Coupe for 2009 Launch

Atlanta, July 27, 2005 -- The Supervisory Board and the Board of Management of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave their approval today for the development and production of another Porsche model line. To be called Panamera, the new car will be a premium-class sports coupe with four seats, four doors, and a choice of front-mounted engines driving the rear wheels.

Scheduled to enter the market in 2009, the Panamera will be the fourth model line from the Stuttgart carmaker following the 911®, the Boxster® and the Cayenne®. The new car’s name is derived from the legendary Carrera Pan¬americana long-distance race.

Production of the Panamera is to be in Leipzig, where Porsche already builds the Cayenne SUV and the Carrera GT® supercar. The final decision will require further detailed talks between the Board of Management of Porsche AG and the Management of Porsche Leipzig GmbH with representatives of the employees. Porsche's total in¬vestment in the new model line, including development, will be more than Euro 1 billion and will come entirely from the company’s own funds. Expected sales are at least 20,000 units a year.

"The Panamera is a perfect fit for Porsche,” said Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, the President and CEO of Porsche AG. “It has all the typical DNA charac¬teristic of a ge¬nuine sports car. In terms of performance, design, and driving dynamics, it meets Porsche's high standards in every respect. Through this sports coupe we are making our customers a highly attractive offer in the top performance segment."

Porsche will develop and build the Panamera using the com¬pany's own resources. "We will be developing a separate platform for our fourth model line at our Weissach R&D center,” said Wiedeking. “There are no plans for a joint venture with another car maker, but to ensure the profitability of this new model line we will cooperate more closely than so far with selected system suppliers."

Production of the Panamera in Leipzig would po¬ten¬tially create some 600 new jobs there. In the course of the project, approximately 400 more new jobs will be created at Porsche's original plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where the engines for the fourth model line will be built, and at the Weissach Development Center.

Like the 911, the Boxster and the Cay¬enne, the Panamera will bear the "Made in Germany" stamp of quality. Domestic share of the Panamera’s overall assembled value will be approximately 70 percent.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1122518554.jpg

The drawing looks cool however the prototype pictures don't look that great.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/233177-porsche-panamera-4-door.html

In the interst of protecting the guilty, the source of the following email I received today will remain concealed: ;)

PORSCHE WILL BUILD FIFTH MODEL LINE: PORSCHE SEXARAMA

Board Approves Six-Door Sports Coupe for 2010 Launch

Atlanta, July 28, 2005 -- The Supervisory Board and the Board of Management of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave their approval today for the development and production of another Porsche model line. To be called Sexarama, the new car will be a premium-class sports coupe with six seats, six doors, and a choice of a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels or a rear-mounted engine driving the front wheels.

Scheduled to enter the market in 2010, the Sexarama will be the fifth model line from the Stuttgart carmaker following the 911, the Boxster, the Cayenne, and the recently announced Panamera. The new car’s name is derived from an undisclosed source with a sense of humor.

Production of the Sexarama is to be in Hamburg, already known for its sex industry. The final decision will require further extremely detailed talks between the Board of Management of Porsche AG, the Management of Porsche Hamburg GmbH, and fully experienced representatives of the city of Hamburg. Porsche's total investment in the new model line, including development, will be more than Euro 1 billion and will come entirely from the company’s March 2005 profits. Expected sales are at least 20,000 units a year, in Los Angeles alone.

"The Sexarama is a perfect fit for Porsche,” chortled Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, the President and CEO of Porsche AG. “It has all the typical DNA characteristic of a genuine sports car. In terms of performance, design, and driving dynamics, it meets Porsche's high standards in every respect. Through this sports coupe we are making our customers a highly attractive offer in the top performance segment. And we can make a ton of money."

Porsche will develop and build the Sexarama using the company's own resources. "We will be developing a separate platform for our fifth model line at our new Hamburg R&D center,” said Wiedeking. “There are no plans for a joint venture with another car maker, but to ensure the profitability of this new model line, we will cooperate more closely than so far with selected system suppliers, including many Hamburgers."

Production of the Sexarama in Hamburg would potentially create some 600 new jobs there. In the course of the project, approximately 400 more new jobs will be created at Porsche's original plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where the engines for the fifth model line will be built, and at the Hamburg Development Center.

Like the 911, the Boxster, the Cayenne, and the Panamera, the Sexarama will bear the "Made in Germany" stamp of quality. Domestic share of the Sexarama’s overall assembled value will be approximately 70 percent.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada. A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing, and training for its 208 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service, which is the goal of this new model.

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You are receiving this transmission from BS Newswire on behalf of the issuer of the information contained in this email.

If Porsche is to survive as an independent company, it must explore other avenues for vehicle sales. A four door, high performance car built with Porsche's philosophy will sell very well and help spread the cost of development across a greater number of units.
The alternative is for Porsche to be absorbed by another company and gradualy lose it's identity.
There is plenty of history of great car makers losing out to the market place.

I hear that they might produce a tractor as well. I wish I had a farm.

Whilst it may not look good its a no-brainer in Porsche terms, like the Cayenne.

Look at how many of you guys (yes I do mean Americans mainly) have a nice new(ish) 911 in the drive along with and SUV and a family saloon.....

Now imagine that the same garage has a 911, a Cayenne and an Pornorama.....a Porsche threesome in the garage...that would make Stuttgart happy.

Yes its a little galling to see such a heritage being applied to 'non' racing or sports cars but its good business and Porsche has always been a good business....racing was one facet of that not like Ferrari were business was a way of funding racing....

Maybe they plan on returning to racing with this model? NASCAR?

In its current form, Porsche would never do NASCAR.

They'd have to develop a single-cam, pushrod V8 that the sport mandates.

ICK...another 928...only with 4 doors

What's so bad about the 928?

And don't cite maintenance costs. I've seen what you 911 guys spend...

Is there any difference now between Porsche and BMW?

For me, the dream ended with 996/Cayenne. Not that these are 'bad' cars, but something was lost.

Other than a GT3, no new Porche that floats my boat. Have to start dreaming in Italian

So when are we going to see the Porsche chopper? Heck they are capitalizing on every other trend! Maybe they could have the Tuttle's on the design team.

And yes I do know that Porsche collaborated on the V-rod.