Quote:
doncapecod said:
Whoever Porsche partners with for their 4th model should be someone other than VW..and break the mold, so to speak. 
What is wrong with VW? VW has been Porsche's "traditional" partner for many decades. I know that VW doesn't have a good reputation in the US but Americans should be reminded of the fact that VW owns Bentley, Audi and Lamborghini. And believe me, you would be surprised to learn how many VW parts are on an Audi and vice versa. There isn't much difference in quality. Not to forget about the fact that Mr. Piech is the son of Porsche's sister and that he was deeply involved in Weissach development decades ago. Not to speak about his reputation as a technical fanatic and a very knowledgable "technical" man. This has influenced VW a lot over the past years, quality surely is much higher now than it was many years ago. And it is definetely better than the products of their competitors like Opel (GM) and Fiat (remember Ferrari?
).
I have to admit that I don't understand the negative image of VW in the US but maybe it has to do with the name Volkswagen (people's car). Some people in the States still seem to believe that all Bavarians are wearing short leather trousers but of course we Germans have our prejudices too and we should call it even.
I also don't understand why there is so much hype about the Mercedes E 55 AMG and especially the new CLS 55 AMG and BMW M5 but at the same time, people say it is a bad thing that Porsche wants to build a 4-door sports sedan.
I think that a sports sedan "fits" Porsche much better than a SUV, don't you think so?!
The only problem I see with a Porsche sports sedan is the fact that it would need to be the most sporty sports sedan on this planet. And with tough competition from Mercedes, BMW and even Audi, it won't be easy for Porsche.
They need a sports sedan with an attractive but not too "screaming" exterior, incorporating the Porsche corporate design. They also need a car with minimum 500 HP because I doubt they can push the weight below M5 figures.
And I'm not sure they can "afford" building "low power" variants like they did with the Cayenne. So the Porsche sports sedan base model would need to have around 1800 kg weight, minimum 500 HP power and a sophisticated traction system because 4WD would be impossible at 1800 kg weight.
The price tag is another problem, they can't charge much more than BMW and Mercedes do charge for their top class limousines. This is a tough market.
I think that a decision FOR a 4-door sports sedan has been already taken but it hasn't been announced yet because Porsche doesn't know yet if they develop it alone or with a partner. I'm pretty sure Porsche will announce details as soon as all details are established and are ready to be published in the press.
I'm just afraid that VW set a very bad example of sedan development with the Phaeton, so I'm pretty sure that the new partner will be again VW because VW needs to reduce weight on the Phaeton and they might even need a "smaller" sedan slightly above their Passat range because the Phaeton is a bit too big and too "luxurious" for VW.
Time will tell if I'm right but one thing is for sure: Porsche faces tough criticism as soon as they announce the project.
As always...
) on Audi RS6.
It is contagious. 
