Porche May Delay Key Product Launch in Bid to Save Costs
With sales for next year now expected to miss initial targets, Porsche is looking to be proactive and cut costs to help balance the books. According to company boss Matthias Muller, that could also mean delaying a key product launch.
Speaking at the start of production for the new Boxster sports car at Volkswagen’s Osnabrück factory, Muller vaguely commented that, “We will possibly delay the one or the other project.” Exactly which project Muller is speaking of remains a mystery.
Porsche currently has several new models in the pipe and is expected to show a wagon version of the Panamera super sedan at the Paris Motor Show next week. Other key products expected to arrive soon include the Macan compact SUV and the 918 Spyder supercar, neither of which are likely to see any delays due to their importance. Porsche has already said it has put on hold a plan for a smaller Boxster, while there have also been rumors of a down-sized Panamera to compete with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. In addition, another candidate for the “hold list” is a rumored sports car that would sit above the 911 in terms of both performance and price in the brand’s lineup.
As part of a larger plan to reduce spending Porsche will also limit investments in 2013 and cut additional costs in order to maintain profitability. Vehicle sales are expected to miss initial projections by as much as 10 percent Muller says, although Porsche believes deliveries in 2013 should still match those of 2012.
[Source: Reuters]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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