Porsche, Volkswagen, and Audi Clash Over Small Sports Cars
Could internal politics endanger the Volkswagen Group's trio of mid-engine compact sports cars -- the Porsche 356, the Audi R5, and the VW BlueSport? VW launched the mid-engine BlueSport concept at the 2009 Detroit auto show. The car was a runner, the engineers had done much more than their routine homework, and, in principle, marketing had given it a thumbs-up. Almost eighteen months later, however, the two-seater is still on hold.
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Source: Porsche, Volkswagen, and Audi Clash Over Small Sports Cars
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Where is the problem? As usual, it lies elsewhere -- in Zuffenhausen and Ingolstadt, to be precise. Porsche doesn't want the next-generation Boxster to be cannibalized by a less expensive and potentially more capable 356. Audi, facing slow demand for the R8, doesn't see the need for a third sports car to be positioned between the next TT and its mid-engine flagship. Although VW is quick to admit that the BlueSport would work wonders for its image, the brand has its plate full coordinating the cooperation deal with Suzuki, preparing the next Golf, and getting the so-called New Small Family under way. "Sports cars are not at the top of our priority list," states chairman Martin Winterkorn. "This applies in particular to sports cars that require the collaboration of Porsche, which is not even part of the VW Group yet." |
Source: Porsche, Volkswagen, and Audi Clash Over Small Sports Cars
