Entry-level Porsche Roadster rendering
The question of how Porsche's lineup would sync up with Audi and Volkswagen's, particularly with as much platform sharing as goes on between the three, has been open since the VW Group made its move to acquire a majority stake in Porsche last year. Now it looks like some rationalization may take place before the rumored Cajun and sub-Boxster models can be built.
Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller, himself a transplant from VW's upper management, is said to be holding further development on any new models to review where the product plan ought to go. The decisions to be made are planned to arrive by the end of the year, with the fate of smaller future Porsches riding on their outcome.
The Cajun, which is to be Walter de'Silva's first design project at Porsche, will share a platform with the Audi Q5 and slot in a size bracket below the Cayenne, alongside the BMW X3 and its ilk. Sales aren't expected to start until 2013, so the talks going on at Porsche about where to take the brand in the future could yet chop this model from the lineup.
Cars that aren't subject to the product review include established models with only redesigns or refreshes planned, like the 911, Boxster, and Panamera. New models like the Cajun and the upcoming entry-level sub-Boxster are still on the block.
The sub-Boxster roadster is perhaps the most interesting car to come out of the rumorworks at Porsche in years, at least to the enthusiast. Lightweight, mid-engined, powerful, and emninently tuned by Porsche's handling and chassis engineers, the car holds a lot of potential. Unfortunately, its future may also hold some doubt depending on the outcome of the VW Group's model pow-wow.
[Autocar]
