Porsche. From the "Hell Freezes Over" File, Automotive News Europe reported that Porsche is considering building a hybrid version of the Cayenne - using a Toyota powertrain. Readers of this site know exactly what we think about the Cayenne, but it's clear that this is a new low in Porsche history. The company that was founded on building lithe little sports cars that bristled with innovation and the visionary thinking of its founder has now openly admitted that they have given up on the innovation game altogether. Porsche insists that it has to act quickly in order to meet upcoming stricter regulations in the U.S. (and the growing interest in fuel economy by American consumers), but it's clear that if Porsche hadn't succumbed to the siren song of instant SUV-driven profits and had built an AWD vehicle that adhered to their founder's vision, instead of building a bloated, 5,000+ lb. truck that represents everything Porsche is not - they might not have to be trolling for powertrains from an outside source. By signalling that Porsche is either incapable or unwilling to engage in innovative, creative solutions to execute the Porsche philosophy in a new fuel-efficiency-prioritized market environment, CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has now officially and finally removed Porsche from the ranks of the world's great car companies. By turning its back on the company's history and everything the brand once stood for, Porsche is now no different than any other mass auto manufacturer out there, becoming of all horrible things - just another car company. We wonder when the butchery of Porsche's history, traditions and reputation will stop? Perhaps they should consider getting out of the car-building business altogether - after all, they sell more trucks than sports cars now, so what does it matter at this point? Maybe they could just keep the negotiations with Toyota going, because we're quite sure if they look hard enough they could find a Toyota that they could easily slap the Porsche crest on and call it a day. Who knows? Maybe Porsche will end up being bought out by another car company, the one thing that Wiedeking insists will never happen. Let's review, shall we? Porsche gave up racing for the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans six years ago (in order to develop the Cayenne), they have abandoned the innovation and creativity that they once thrived on, and by the time they're finished, they will have destroyed one of the world's greatest automotive brands - running it right into the ground. Given that, Toyota should be able to get a "fire sale" deal on the whole shebang. This news should finally push the longstanding, hardcore Porsche enthusiasts - the ones who had turned into apologists rationalizing the existence of the Cayenne - right over the edge.


Top 10 AE Name Suggestions for Porsche's New Toyota-Powered Cayenne. 10. The Cayenne FOI (we're Flat Out of Ideas). 9. The Cayenne CT (power Courtesy of Toyota). 8. The Cayenne HB (Hybrid, Borrowed). 7. The Cayenne RSE (Rising Sun Edition). 5. The Cayenne SM (Slow-Motion). 4. The Cayenne YFK (You have to be F---ing Kidding me!). 3. The Cayenne TI (Temporary Insanity). 2. The Cayenne ETW (Et Tu, Wendelin?). And the No. 1. AE name suggestion for Porsche's new Toyota-powered Cayenne? The Toyota Cayenne (we gave up and sold the whole damn company!).

Toyota. They would never admit it publicly, but the people at Toyota have to be secretly "high-fiving" behind closed doors at the news that Porsche has come to them, hat in hand, begging for a powertrain for their ill-conceived Cayenne. We've written often about the burgeoning Toyota Juggernaut, the one automobile company in the world that seems to be virtually unstoppable, but this news changes everything. Toyota is now a technical tour de force, not just a dominant sales and marketing entity. Toyota is fully engaged on all fronts - it races in Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR and grass roots sports car racing, it has led the charge on innovative fuel-efficient powertrains, it has supplanted Chevrolet as "America's Car" in the U.S. market, and it has set its sights on capturing 15 percent of the worldwide automobile market by 2010, matching GM's current total. As we've said many times of late, Toyota will easily blow right by GM and become the No. 1 automaker in the world.

 

If it's coming down the road, I would want Porsche sold to Toyota than any European company such as DC, BMW, VW. Toyota is a money making monster and is hell bent through savvy business management on taking over first place in the world market. Look at the mess DC, BMW and esp VW Group are in now and moving forward with their huge cost structures and aging unionized workforces and factories in Europe, not dissimilar to the Big Three here in the US.

 

Porsche owned by TOYOTA. My god, that really is sacrilege.

Who ever knew they would create a bastardized car together. It is a sad day in Porsche history.

 

mmm... a little bird told me that the new trannies are japanese built now...


maybe i should have stayed with my supra lol

 

Watt. I could have not said it better myself. Truth be known, this was coming ladies and gentleman. The tip of the iceburg was seen when the good doctor invited certain Japanese visionaries to revamp Porsches production and assembly plants. Hence seeing the intial Boxters so chepened and too plasticky. Early 996 cars too.

Not to beat the $hit from a dead horse again,....... but yes, this is sickening. You have to wonder, how much do the Porsche kids really care anymore on which the company was based .

Really , really SAD !!!!!


Theo

 

See, I tried to warn you guys with my earlier post but nobody listened.....

BTW This thing will accelerate faster than the Turbo Pepper.

My favorite name would have to be the "Wasabi"

Gosh, is there a doctor in the house I have just cracked a rib....

 

The Toyota/Porsche Wasabi -

there is no substitute for Japanese know how!

 

You all are missing a critical point here. If Toyota takes control of Porsche, who will they copy off of? The Japanese are masters of refinement, but lousy at creativity. Maybe this will ensure that the 911 stays a rear-engined 6 cylinder forever because the Toyota will just be stuck on it's continued refinement.

 

umm so what if they do buy the hybrid power train from Toyota. Not a big deal to me if the build a more fuel efficient Cayenne.
At least they won't be wasting their money developing their own version, where that money could be used for developing dsg and a lighter 911.
Porsche ain't selling out to Toyota so lets get that straight. The hybrid would just be another model is the line up.
IMO the Cayeene Turbo is the only model that should have the Porsche crest on it. The S and the V6 are just there to satisfy the soccer moms/dads.

 

i'm sick of people always *****ing about the cayenne, who cares, whatever it takes for porsche to stay an independant sports marque . if you would look around all the sports car companies are owned by some big *** company, ferrariowned by fiat lambo owned by audi, jaguar and astin martin, owned by ****ty ford, and so on. porsche is in uncharted territory, staying afloat in a world dominated by massproduction.

 

by the way, germans are 10 times better at refinment than jap ****. look at formula 1, toyota has bean in that **** how long, and they still suck, honda has bean in evan longer and they just now have engines as good as bmw, bmw the second year had the most powerful engine in formula one. and merceades has already won there titles with mclaren, and the problems i know some of u are going to bring up about this year with merceades, well that was mclarens fault not merceades, but they were the ones the stupid ****in media focused on.

 

So I take it you are a proud German national by your response ? OTOH, if you are an American, I'm sure you proudly drive your world-beating Chevy Cavalier or Pontiac Grand Am. No excrement made by god-fearing Amuricuns, no siree Bob. We are SO good at this auto game because " weee are the champions ....of the wuuurld " as the British group Queen - led by the late gay singer who died of AIDS, Freddie Mercury - sings at all our macho US sports arenas !

 

Not to mention that Honda dominated F1 in it's two previous runs at the sport, or the fact that the top brands in quality are Japanese...

 

*****ing is very common here so u just have to get used to it

 

I think it's been true since at least 2001... Honda/toyota technology as i was once informed from my dealer