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Porsche working to build ties with Audi

Posted Mon Apr 28 2008 2:16 PM by Nelson Ireson

Porsche's power plays within Volkswagen have been getting a lot of press lately, with everything from failed board votes to spy scandals sprouting out of the deal. Now attention turns to Porsche's interest in Audi, where it is working to secure three spots on the supervisory board.

The three officers to be appointed at the upcoming May 7th meeting include Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking, CFO Holger Harter and Ferdinand Piech, supervisory chairman of the VW board and Ferdinand Porsche's grandson, reports Automotive News. The move to secure influence on Audi's board may herald a move to acquire some of the company's advanced engine or all-wheel drive technology.

Already Wiedeking has discussed sharing electronics and platforms with the VW Group, but those parts will be under-the-skin, so to speak. They will not be parts that are seen by the customer - although VW already builds the body for the Porsche Cayenne in the same Slovakian plant where it builds Touareg and Q7 bodies.

Areas for joint cooperation between Audi and Porsche were discussed at a recent shareholder meeting, and include a Porsche version of the Q5 to slot under the Cayenne and joint work on the next Audi TT and Porsche Boxster.

story Tags:

• Audi
• Industry
• Porsche
• Volkswagen

Reader Comments

• Mon Apr 28 2008 3:29 PM

  PJE says

  Hopefully their influence does not extend to stopping the development of competing products such as the rumored R4...
  
  The R8 has shown what Audi can do, and Porsche must be worried about their profit margins if they are overtaken in performance by the R8 and the New Nissan GT-R.

• Tue Apr 29 2008 1:56 AM

  elclair says

  I think Porshe will do anything to prevent profit loss, I do however think the R8 is grossly over-rated as it competes with mid-level Porsches which are already 3 years old. (Launched 2005) The Nissan GT-R is another story.....Value for money, it seems awesome. I Hope it won't be like all Nissans other (older) sports cars though. (they fall apart at 20 000mls) I guess you get what you pay for.

• Tue Apr 29 2008 8:25 AM

  Alan says

  Although i love the R8 as well, somehow i feel it'll be like NSX. Widely praised at launch, but forgotten few years down the track. I find it interesting the article say to acquire AUdi's AWD technology, doesn't Porsche already have a very advanced AWD technology in the 911 Turbo?