Porsche Will Sin No More, Ditches Cheap Roadster

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

In 2010, plans of a (by Porsche standards) low-priced cheap Porsche, a mid-engined, entry-level roadster based on the underpinnings of the Volkswagen BlueSport Concept were floated. The car was called a “modern-day 356 Speedster” by some.

On these pages, it was promptly called “a modern-day version of another Porsche Deadly Sin, the 914.”

Porsche decided to sin no more and ditched the roofless cheapo.

Last year, Porsche chief Matthias Müller continued to sing the praises of

“a legitimate successor to the Porsche 550 – namely a small mid-engine sports car. Actually I couldn’t imagine a better name for a small roadster like that than the 550.“

Now, the car is dead. At least for the foreseeable future. In an interview with Germany’s Wirstschaftswoche, Müller didn’t say that the car is dead, but as good as dead, quite dead, actually:

„Possibly it will take until a future generation of customers until a small roadster is a good fit with Porsche. “

Phew. That epiphany took a while. Porschephiles already had feared an across-the-board loss of Ueberholprestige, resale-value and babe-magnetism, inflicted by the puerile Porsche on the hallowed brand.

Müller is now thinking in the other direction: Bigger, faster, pricier. Mumbled Müller:

„Between a 911 GT2 for €250.000 and a €750.000 918 Spyder is a gap of half a million euro. Why shouldn’t we come up with a car for €300.000 to €400.000? That would be immediately accepted as a Porsche.”

Nods all around in the Porsche paddock, while wannabe Porsche owners pull out Miata catalogs.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Lokki Lokki on Jan 15, 2012

    I really don't see how a new small Porsche would have worked out as a winner. Share components with the big boys in the line-up and costs get out of control. Suddenly the car costs as much as the Boxster. Don't share compenents and its "not a Porsche" but a VW ala the 914. Further (as a rule) the guys who will want them (as a rule) can't afford the prices the Porsche service department will want to work on them. Suddenly in the 3rd year of production and warranties expire, the cars get a reputation as easily broken and expensive to fix. Porsche gets critized for wanting to become a full line manufacturer. Finally, as has been pointed out, this isn't the biggest niche in the market. There's already plenty of competion there too The Honda S2000 is a good example of a great car in this price range that got discontinued because the market wasn't big enough to support the car.

    • CJinSD CJinSD on Jan 15, 2012

      Good point about the S2000, but the part about cars getting a reputation as being easily broken and expensive to fix already has happened to the Boxster. An independent Porsche shop I know of used to pick them up for very little from customers who balked at repair costs. I don't think they even bother doing that anymore. If the same things always fail spectacularly you really can have too many parts cars.

  • Acuraandy Acuraandy on Jan 16, 2012

    They already make a 'cheap' Porsche. It's called a VW Beetle. This age old gripe reminds me of Acura guys bitching about a lack of a TSX Coupe. Go buy an Accord Coupe.

    • Rudiger Rudiger on Jan 16, 2012

      As zany as this sounds, the latest Beetle does seem to have something of a retro Porsche appearance (particularly with the base steel wheels and hubcaps).

  • FJ60LandCruiser FJ60LandCruiser on Jan 16, 2012

    After hawking uglyass SUVs and perhaps the ugliest 4-door luxury sedan, Porsche finally takes their balls out of their purse and axes another cheapening of the brand. Too little too late to grow scruples after you've whored yourselves out, Stuttgart.

  • Jellodyne Jellodyne on Jan 16, 2012

    So we don't get our GT86 from Toyota and we don't get our neo-914 from Porsche -- if there's a VW version, that'll be fine. I wonder if they're pricing themselves out of the market at $30+, though. Particularly if the 200HP (vs the BlueSport's 170) FR-S/BRZ is going to be cheaper.

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