by John Glynn | Mar 24, 2014 | Porsche News, Porsche People
I don’t know Porsche CEO Matthias Müller, but I like his story and how he comes across. Stuttgart does too, as it has just renewed his contract for five more years from January 2015.
Though Matthias Müller’s VAG passport is well established, the boss has always made the right noises about Porsche’s positioning within VW, inspiring faith in his plans for the brand. Talking to the Telegraph’s Andrew English soon after taking the Porsche job in late 2010, the two enjoyed a set-to over the risks of shared engineering across VW badges.
AE: Isn’t there a danger that all this sharing will dilute what a Porsche actually stands for?
MM: No other company can manage nine brands like the VW Group. You know that a VW is a VW and an Audi is an Audi.
AE: No it isn’t, the Audi A1 is a barely disguised VW Polo…
MM: Well, as long as I am chief executive, a Porsche will be a Porsche. I do not want to compromise or disappoint our customers.
Müller has stuck to his word. The current range feels Porsche-like from here, and (impressively) has really taken shape since Q1 2011, when the new CEO’s first proper product strategy meet established the targets that should see Porsche sell 200,000 cars by 2018. How that explosion tallies with our old-school Porsche relationships is an ecumenical matter, but the powers that be certainly enjoy what Müller is doing post-Weideking.
“The company has continued to develop positively and the integration of the sports car manufacturer into the Volkswagen Group worked perfectly,” said Dr Wolfgang Porsche. “We look forward to working with [Matthias] in the years to come.”
“The integration into the Volkswagen Group and the independence of Porsche are no contradiction, they stand for success,” said Chairman of the general and group works council of Porsche AG, Uwe Hück. “In spite of this growth, we want to preserve the proven Porsche culture and we will continue to go down this road with Matthias Müller. He is an employer with a heart and quite simply, that’s good for Porsche”.
An employer with heart, and his hand on the tiller to at least 2020. What’s the verdict out there?
by John Glynn | Mar 19, 2014 | New Models, Porsche News
I spent all morning writing job descriptions for a couple of part-time vacancies in Graphic Design and PR/Marketing with Mighty Motor Media in Banbury/Daventry. While I was banging my head against that creative brick wall, Porsche announced GTS models of Boxster and Cayman.
There’s some flak flying on social media for the pics Porsche has sent out and the video done to promote the models (scroll down) but I think the cars look good: Cayman in particular.
However, with a basic cost of more than £50k, one wonders how many will pick a GTS to get an extra 15 hp (330 bhp total) and 10 newton metres of torque, Sport Chrono, PASM and black bi-xenon headlights. Remember that a basic manual Cayman S on 19″ wheels weighs 1350 kilos, with every option adding bulk – I don’t know what the GTS will weigh when it’s fuelled and oiled, ready to go. Basic Cayman GTS will cost circa €4k more than the Boxster, but I bet it’s the bigger seller.
Interestingly, Stuttgart’s press release shares top speeds from the manual version, but 0-60 times from the PDK car, equipped with launch control. Does that mean PDK won’t go as fast? Or is Porsche just pointing out the base price is manual? Answers on a postcard.
Now, give me your thoughts on this video. I would rather see previous GTS models: Vic Elford drives to camera in a red 904 GTS peeling off to show Derek Bell in his red 924 GTS then peeling off to reveal Nick Tandy in a red Cayman GTS. Heritage works with red Porsches.
by John Glynn | Mar 17, 2014 | Porsche Cayenne, Project Cars
I’ve bowed to defeat in the Porsche Cayenne transmission failure saga and am sending the car for a gearbox rebuild. What should have been a simple Cayenne valve body rebuild and refit is now a transmission-out overhaul costing thousands of pounds.
The last straw came on Saturday, when I spent all day checking through the metres of copper linking my Cayenne ECUs with the gearbox internals. All I found was a soaking wet floor, courtesy of the leaky rear washer jet pipe that pours screenwash into the car when it works its way loose. The leaking water then floods wiring looms and everything else it can find, including the Cayenne’s main ECU. Some of the damage it does:
Pulling all the transmission wiring back into the Cayenne, I could find no broken cables and no obvious problems. I’ve already double checked everything the boys have done on installing a genuine Porsche valve body/valve block costing over £1,000. The automatic transmission shop will run a diagnostic on the transmission when it gets to them tomorrow, but there is some form for these Porsche Cayenne Aisin gearboxes to jam their clutch packs, so I’m not mega optimistic.
As an experiment in running a Porche Cayenne daily driver, the last six months have taught me not to recommend these cars. I enjoy driving my Cayenne V8 and it is just about affordable on LPG, so I will stick with it as a means to recoup some of the money I’ve poured into it, but I would not advise others to follow my lead. I’m not saying don’t buy a Cayenne, just don’t ask me to tell you it makes sense.
I almost bought a Volvo XC90, but ended up in the Cayenne. Even as a Porsche enthusiast, it’s a difficult decision to defend when you look at the full cost of ownership over my six months to date compared to something more reliable. The recent bills are a bit raw at the minute: some fresh V8 burble will ease that pain.
by John Glynn | Mar 17, 2014 | Porsche News
The Porsche hedge funds court case has experienced its first win. Case number 28 O 183/13, brought in the Regional Court of Stuttgart against Porsche Automobil Holding SE, has been dismissed by the court. The news is not a huge surprise, after presiding judge Carola Wittig commented last month on the high risk of the plaintiffs losing their case.
The case is one of a bundle of actions against PSE totalling €5 billion, brought by a group of twenty three hedge funds following Stuttgart’s failed attempt to take over Volkswagen. The plaintiffs’ argument seems to revolve around the idea that companies should disclose their takeover plans in advance, but I may have this backwards. I thought the stock market was all about risk, which is the opposite of knowing things early.
The statement says “Porsche SE welcomes the Regional Court of Stuttgart’s decision and considers its legal opinion to have been confirmed.” The company is still not out of the woods however, as the related cases have hearings through April and May of this year.
The cynical among you may remark that, whatever happens in court, pension and investment customers will take the pain, while bonuses fly on Wall Street and beyond. I couldn’t possibly comment.
by John Glynn | Mar 12, 2014 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
Had a very quick stopoff to check some Porsche 911 restorations at Rob Campbell’s Racing Restorations in Pershore yesterday evening. I also looked at a Mercedes E55 estate he is selling (nice) and to drop off some carpets for my 924 Turbo, which is still there waiting for me to screw it back together.
Rob and the guys have three Porsche 911 restorations in progress at the minute, and a Fiat 500 Abarth replica build. Loads of other stuff moving from fabrication to finishing workshop next door, so the fab shop is pretty tight until two classic Mercedes rust repair projects get finished and go to the paint shop.
Here’s how he solved the floorspace drought. I want a Fiat 500 Lampshade!
