Posted on Friday 14 March 2008
Waves from Porsche’s takeover of Volkswagen continue to send ripples through the corporate structure, and models once put on the back burner may finally see production. One such vehicle, Porsche’s long-rumored Roxster mid-size SUV, could be the first trophy of Porsche’s purchase.
For several months in 2007 speculation of a possible cooperation with Audi to use the Q5 platform for the Roxster made the Internet rounds. Tipped as a hard-core performance crossover that might share powertrains with the much larger Cayenne, the Roxster was officially denied in May of last year. However, those plans may have existed and were simply cancelled because of Audi’s fears that the Roxster would steal Audi’s Q5 market.
A report from AutoWeek is now claiming that the purchase of a controlling interest in Audi’s parent company VW - and the corresponding seats it will receive on Audi’s board - will pave the way for Porsche’s use of the Q5 platform, and the Roxster will once again be green-lighted for development. This news comes just as Audi is set to release its revamped Q5, replete with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox capable of handling 405lb-ft of torque.
Critics of Porsche’s Cayenne as a brand-diluting atrocity will likely pan the adoption of the Q5 platform into the Porsche family as yet another bad move. On the other hand, Porsche needs a vehicle in the segment if it hopes to compete with rivals Mercedes and BMW.
Great. What is next? Diesel minibus?
If Porsche already owns VW and all the brand associated with it, what’s the point of a Roxster? Just let Q5 compete with GLK and X3, i’d much prefer Porsche stick to sports cars, sports sedan at the most, but not more and more SUV
This Roxster thing sounds like nothing but a second-gen Cayenne. Porsche doesn’t have any need to create a second range of off-roaders.
One can argue that the Cayenne helped Porsche not only remain independent but take over VW as well as continue to be at th forefront of racing and R&D.
If they bring another monstrosity like the Cayenne to the market this will start Porsche in a downward spiral out of which nothing good can come.
I even think , it would be better if porsche stop producing cars just the 911 … no cayman , cayenne and for sure the boxster … just the 911
the 911 is the soul of porsche
Yesterday evening I was coming across the KSA-Bahrain causeway I saw what looked like a Baby Cayenne.
It certainly appeared smaller than a regular Cayenne, had two twin port exhausts. The car was black with contrasting white framing around the windows. It was badged and had Cayenne written on the back followed by another word that I couldn’t make out.
Unfortunately a photo opportunity didn’t arise as flashing cameras around in a Saudi border station isn’t advisable. It definitely wasn’t a regular Cayenne though.