Porsche won't let its controlling stake in VW lead to a blurring of the boundaries between the companies, according to Porsche's production director, Michael Macht.
'Although there has been a lot of talk in recent weeks on Porsche's stake in Volkswagen, we can assure you that Porsche will always remain Porsche, for this is a maxim we will definitely leave untouched,' he said at the launch of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet.
The details will be spelt out at an extraordinary general meeting in Stuttgart next Tuesday, when a new corporate holding structure will be established. Porsche Automobil Holding SE will oversee the various businesses, including the one making Porsche cars, Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG, which will 'continue to work just as consistently and with the same clear focus as before, maintaining its ongoing path of success in the market' according to Macht.
Porsche's phenomenal business success shows no signs of abating. In the 12 months ending on 31 July, Porsche will have sold more than 36,000 911s worldwide - its best ever year for its core model. Porsche sales for 2006-07 are expected to at least match the previous year's total of more than 96,000.
The order books for the Cayenne MkII are full. Macht said that the original Cayenne - Porsche's first non-sports car - helped establish it in new markets.
'In young markets such as China, Russia, the Middle East and now also India, particularly the Cayenne arouses great enthusiasm in and for Porsche, giving our sales figures double- and even triple-digit growth rates. Now we are consistently continuing this successful development with the four-door Panamera, which will once again significantly expand and broaden our worldwide customer base.'
The Panamera will go on sale in 2009, with a show debut likely in 2008. A rival for the Maserati Quattroporte, Aston Martin's new Rapide - also due in 2009 - and BMW's planned CS, it will be powered by a front-mounted V8 engine, with a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive.
Development work on the Panamera is in full swing at Porsche's Leipzig factory - where the Cayenne is also built - which has recently been extended in a €150m project to create a Panamera production hall, training workshop and logistics centre.
Full-frontal performance:Our spies say that there will be a choice of three engines: an entry-level 300bhp 3.5 V6 (a Volkswagen-derived unit) and an all-new direct-injection eight-cylinder in normally-aspirated (350bhp) and twin-turbo (560bhp) forms. The Carrera GT's 700bhp V10 has also been suggested for an ultra-exclusive top-end version. All engines are to be mounted up front, though positioned as far back as possible to try and maintain a perfect weight distribution and balance.
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