quite interesting:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Se...ontent-block=0



"Speaking of the next 911 dubbed 991, rumour has it that messieurs Winterkorn and Piech were not totally convinced when they recently saw the production-ready design exercise for the first time.

The new chiefs demanded, among other things, substantial changes to the front and rear ends – a move which would delay the introduction by three to six months to model year 2012. Somewhat miffed and obviously demotivated, the Porsche design and engineering squad pointed out that the required alterations will invariably deliver a serious blow to the budget.

Quipped Piech, allegedly: 'This may be the case. But it's our money which is at stake, not yours.' "

 

Lots of risk here in my opinion. New strategy for Porsche/VW is to make Porsche more profitable...also new strategies in future that will be creating new risk:
1. dilution of the brand with more models (see new car and driver article)
2. lowering the quality by sharing parts and platforms
3. reduction in innovation since they will be saddled with more debt (Chrysler and GM woes leading to reduction in their innovation)
4. changing of 911...their hypothesis is to make the car's brand around "technology innovation." This paridigm shift is risky for their loyal base.
5. increasing production - new plan is to sell 2x the volume in a few years...this will drop the used car market pricing.

Empirical data shows that this could be trouble...Ford and Jag...Toyota and Lexus...

 

^ +1 I suspect we saw the last of the 911 we love with the 997.2.

 

Just makes me think that the patern will repeat. Every other series of 911 is a winner. Every other one just doesn't meet the customers needs.

If VW wants to mess with grill and dash and whatever. They are welcome to make it a "blah" series. Wouldn't make me sad, as I own a 997.

We'll see.

 

Perhaps it's the other way around? The sketches I've seen on this site and elsewhere of the 991 had an Audi like front and a rear with a jigsaw of shut and fender lines. Piech's last Porsches were from the late sixties and early seventies. If that's his reference I wouldn't necessarily expect bad things.