New 914? Road & Track

[tcar]

New Models: Porsche planning 'new 914'?
23 Jan 06 17:06


Porsche 914
Porsche is planning an "elemental" low-cost roadster, according to Road and Track magazine, which would be a successor to the Volkswagen-engined 914.

This is said to be based on the Boxster platform, but to be smaller, lighter and with a stripped-out interior. In line with the "new 914" brief, it could feature Volkswagen's 2.0-litre turbocharged, direct-injection engine as in the Golf GTI. R&T speculates that this could be tuned for 230bhp or so, and has produced some computer-generated images of what the car could look like.

Such a model would give Porsche - keen to expand its model-range in all directions - a rival for the Mazda MX-5, Opel GT/Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, lower-end Audi TT and so on. It could also attract aspirant Porsche owners to the brand, including the all-important younger buyers who may then trade up to a Boxster (and perhaps, later, to a 911, a Panamera saloon or a Cayenne).

Critics are no doubt readying to declare it "not a proper Porsche" - though historically, it has a precedent and is thus much more in the Porsche tradition than either the Cayenne or the upcoming four-door Panamera.

[RickM]

What? No pics?

[legion]

Great!!!

I've been wanting Porsche to produce something less pricey than the Boxster.

The Cayman S is still my dream car.

[kach22i]

What prevents Porsche from taking an Opel Speedster and rebadging it? Bad idea, but what is preventing it VW? I thought there was a connection somehow.



Found it, the Concept-R from 2004.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/model/160/Volkswagen/model.aspx

[legion]

Opel is 100% owned by GM.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by legion
Opel is 100% owned by GM.

True, but somehow I thought there was a connection between the Opel Speedster and the VW Concept-R. Maybe they just look the same.

Opel would never team up with VW who would then team up with Porsche - would they?

[oldE]

No, I suspect the day VW 'teamed up with' Opel, it would be too cold for anyboby's car to start. Don't forget, Porsche just bought a hunk of VW, with the money they got for their folding roof business.
It would be a good move for Porsche to extend down market just a bit. I don't kid myself to think they will market a car in the same price range as an MX-5, but if they want to get some younger buyers, they should have an 'entry level car' below the Boxter,
Les

[gprsh924]

id be happy with that then i could have something to go with the M3 that im gonna buy when i get out of college. This way i dont have to shell out so much and can continue driving a porsche (my 924S prolly wont be running by then)

[Porsche-O-Phile]

There have been murmurs about something like this in the works for some time now. Think I first heard about it about a year and a half ago. . .

Any uber-light, open-air two-seater with a Porsche badge would be in my driveway the day of its release though virtually for certain. For one, I actually like the "old" 914 (aside from the rust issues). Something with similar fun capability, handling, etc. would kick butt IMO. It'd be like a Miata, only bigger and better.

[yellowline]

This 914/944 replacement would be great. Start them at about $35k -the price of an '83 944 adjusted for inflation. Build 10-12k a year for the US, let people fight for them. They'll forget about an SLK, Z4, etc. It continues to build up Porsche's name and keeps up the desirability.

Next up the ladder - Cayman. Like a older SC - coupe only, pretty barebones, a real driver's car. (edit: Perhaps the Boxster would be alright as a Cayman twin.)

The 911 can take the place of the 928 - a GT. Let it evolve as a 911 would, though. Don't make it any more luxurious, but don't start stripping it, either.

The Panamera and Cayenne (which actually should be cancelled) can just appeal to their markets and not be part of a hierarchy.

[red-beard]

This would be interesting. I would need one in yellow to go next to the Blond...

[Halm]

I clearly remember the same thing being floated a few years ago, also in R&T. At that time, they were talking about a mid-engine turbo 4 and shared platform with VW. I would love to see something actually happen, but I doubt it.

[Z-man]

Keep in mind, folks, that this idea is what the car magazine is saying -there's no official or unofficial word that Porsche would ever do such a thing.

Personally, I think it would cut in too much into Boxster sales, and it woudl bring Porsche downmarket - two things I don't thing current management at Porsche AG are willing to do...

-Z.

[dd74]

Z-Man - Boxsters aren't cheap. Solstice/Miatas are. And you could sell a hell of a lot more of those to people who can't put down the $50K for a Boxster, but would still like a sporty P-car.

As far as downmarket - Porsche's already there. The Cayenne did that. If they wanted to stay upmarket and out of contention for market share, they wouldn't have produced the Cayenne, just as Ferrari, Jaguar and others haven't produced SUVs.

I think Porsche's smart to get into this segment, just like they were with the Cayenne. I'd start the cars at $30K, around where a Z4 starts.

The thing about Porsche is they're not the same car manufacturer we reminiscently know and love. For better or worse, they're a company now that needs to reach many more segments than just sporty cars.

[MichiganMat]

Great idea, but its a pretty busy market out there right now: Miatas, and now Solitices and Skys, not to mention Elise, etc etc etc. And thats just the US market. Too crowded to make any money.

[techweenie]

Just stop and think for a minute about all the "entry level" Porsches that have been attempted.

Somebody in Porsche management said in the early 90s that the one thing Porsche has never been good at is making a low priced car.

Mercedes managed to, and look what the "cheap series" did to their image.

No, the best "entry level" Porsche is still a used one.

[Z-man]

Originally posted by dd74
Z-Man - Boxsters aren't cheap. Solstice/Miatas are. And you could sell a hell of a lot more of those to people who can't put down the $50K for a Boxster, but would still like a sporty P-car.

Problem is - Porsche doesn't want to sell such a 'cheap' car - don't forget, the profit margins are much greater on more expensive cars. And at the moment, I believe Porsche is the most profitable car company in the world. So they are doing something right...

As far as downmarket - Porsche's already there. The Cayenne did that. If they wanted to stay upmarket and out of contention for market share, they wouldn't have produced the Cayenne, just as Ferrari, Jaguar and others haven't produced SUVs.

Um no. The Cayenne costs $42k up to $110k for a Turbo S. That ain't small potatoes! It's definately not downmarket in terms of what most SUV buyers would consider an entry level truck. However, the Cayenne was a necessary evil that Porsche needed to make in order to keep afloat. And it worked - there is more enthusiasm for the 987 and 997 today than there was for the 986/996 a couple of years ago.

I think Porsche's smart to get into this segment, just like they were with the Cayenne. I'd start the cars at $30K, around where a Z4 starts.

While I would personally love to see a less expensive Porsche that would be in reach of my means, I believe it would ultimately hurt the company. Someone above mentioned Benz - well, you may know I work for Mercedes-Benz, USA, corporate HQ. The consensus around the home office is that the C-class coupe/hatch really didn't help the marque.

The thing about Porsche is they're not the same car manufacturer we reminiscently know and love. For better or worse, they're a company now that needs to reach many more segments than just sporty cars.

Or more effectively reach the segments they already own!

-Z.

[chuckw951]

Originally posted by Z-man
Personally, I think it would cut in too much into Boxster sales, and it woudl bring Porsche downmarket - two things I don't thing current management at Porsche AG are willing to do...

-Z.

I think in some ways used Boxsters (and other older Porsches) are the competition. Might make sense for Porsche to come up with an entry level model to get some of the low hanging fruit. I'd be interested in a new 914. I just hope they don't use a warmed over 1.8T volkswagon motor. Perhaps they could cook up a supercharged flat 4 in something the size of the new Toyota MR2...but with adequate head and leg room for us tall people.

[dd74]

Zoltan - I agree with you except for two things - tons of C-classes out here - hatches are fairly common, too. Tons of kids driving them, as well. M-B made some cash with the bottom line and young-ins introducing themselves to the brand - again at least in L.A.

$42K for an entry-level Cayenne seems about right. One manufacturer's entry level isn't the same as another's. Yukons with leather and other niceties are $40-$45K. Volvo is the same, as is M-B (I think). Downmarket to me means exclusivity is no longer a built-in into either the product or the consumer who buys the product. Ferrari comes to mind as exclusively high-end with no chance of downmarket. That was what Maseratti and more likely, Fiat was for.

[dd74]

Originally posted by chuckw951
I think in some ways used Boxsters (and other older Porsches) are the competition. Might make sense for Porsche to come up with an entry level model to get some of the low hanging fruit. I'd be interested in a new 914. I just hope they don't use a warmed over 1.8T volkswagon motor. Perhaps they could cook up a supercharged flat 4 in something the size of the new Toyota MR2...but with adequate head and leg room for us tall people.

That's a good point about hold-overs of older cars.

As for engine - that 2.0 FSI (or whatever) that's in the new GTI is supposed to be incredible. See that in a 914 mid-engine layout, at about a Miata's weight, and even Lotus would stand up and take notice.

Not that anyone cares about Lotus, really.