Thanks for all the honest comments, folks.  Perhaps I overstated my impression of Rohrl's comments, and perhaps I come from a  business world where comments such as his are noticed and remembered.  Just seems to me that a noted Porsche spokesman--at a time when the 918 is clearly represented as the pinnacle of Porsche development--could have chosen his personal words a bit more wisely.  

We all make mistakes, and perhaps I was the first one when i made my rather hasty comment...