Report: Chinese Buyers' Tastes May Drive Future Porsche Vehicles
Legacy automakers may have the scale and experience to jump into the EV race and immediately make an impact, but newer companies have plenty of advantages. A significant upside to being new is that there is no messy heritage to deal with, where customers get angry at the slightest sign of change. That’s a challenge Porsche’s dealing with now, as the storied German company is finding that it will need to take some risks to appeal to buyers in countries like China, where the pace of innovation and change is rapid.
Creating vehicles from a blank slate is an enormously challenging task, but it’s also freeing to a degree because designers don’t have to bow to historical pressures that companies like Porsche are bound by. Parent company VW attributes much of its success in China to its design efforts, and though the brand’s star has dimmed slightly in the country, Porsche believes a similar approach is its best path forward.
It's unclear if this realization will bleed over into Porsche’s product lines in other countries. Its most iconic models haven’t significantly changed in years, especially from a powertrain perspective, though company executives have confirmed a hybrid 911 is on the way by 2025. The company is gearing up for the release of its second EV in the upcoming Macan, so we could be entering a time of evolution for the brand.
[Image: Porsche]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Chinese buyers seem to love the massive grilles on cars which is one of the main reasons BMW went head first into the ugly stick with the beaver teeth. I understand that China is now BMW's largest market so American and Grrman tastes move down the list a bit. So does that mean Porsche is going to beaver tooth their side vents?
Report: Water is wet.
What kind of headline is this?
"Jenna Ortega may fall in love with me."
Meanwhile a 30-something working senior engineer in China lusts after their own apartment and a small econobox. These vehicles will be sold to CCP officials and those aligned with them.