Thursday 24th March 2011

Report: Porsche Plans 5-series Rival

Weissach looking at sub-Panamera saloon, says German mag

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Not a Pajun...

Porsche is looking to continue its inexorable march into mainstream market segments with a planned rival for the upper echelons of the 5-series and E-class ranges.

According to German car magazine Auto Bild, engineers in Stuttgart are working on a sub-Panamera saloon, dubbed internally (though we hope not externally) the Pajun, or Panamera junior (those crazy German engineers and their wacky sense of humour...).

The 'Pajun' (Please don't actually call it that, Porsche) could take both its looks and its undercrackers from the Panamera, so expect V6 and V8 petrols, a hybrid option and turbodiesel variants.

Nothing's official, of course, but Auto Bild reckons the new saloon (or fastback, or whatever it turns out to be) could be on the road by 2016.

[Johnpidge]

Oh so an A5 with a Porsche badge on

[george h]

I think Porsche should stick to numbers for their car names in future

[MrKipling43]

Well, it seems it's calling the little Cayenne the Cajun, so it makes sense.

Just lay back and think of the GT2 RS.

[Matt UK]

If there is a suitable market and this sort of move brings in more cash to continue developing and producing best-in-class sportscars, game on I say!

[ChipsAndCheese]

I really hope they don't do this. Just because they are now under the VW umbrella shouldn't mean they need a million different model line up.

At this rate they will end up further diluting the Porsche brand until it is just another Audi, BMW or Mercedes and the roads become flooded with Porsche rep cars.

[jake15919]

To look at it another way a VW Group built rival for the A6.

[Mermaid]

Johnpidge said:

Oh so an A5 with a Porsche badge on

+1 it's getting tiresome

[corcoran]

STOP IT

[gherkins]

Exclusive picture:






Done in 2 mins in Paintbrush - but no worse than the usual Auto Express jobbies

[Mermaid]

ChipsAndCheese said:

At this rate they will end up further diluting the Porsche brand until it is just another Audi, BMW or Mercedes and the roads become flooded with Porsche rep cars.

Agree, the cachet will go for us, but do the emerging markets care - that's where the volume is in the future.

[Riggers]

gherkins said:

Exclusive picture:






Done in 2 mins in Paintbrush - but no worse than the usual Auto Express jobbies

Genius. Do you want a job?

[thewheelman]

Yet more badge engineering from ze Germans. What next.....a Lamborghini rival for the 1 series BMW?

[Matt UK]

ChipsAndCheese said:

I really hope they don't do this. Just because they are now under the VW umbrella shouldn't mean they need a million different model line up.

At this rate they will end up further diluting the Porsche brand until it is just another Audi, BMW or Mercedes and the roads become flooded with Porsche rep cars.

More into 'products' than 'brands' myself.

Would you rather drive a second-rate product cleverly marketed into a desirable 'brand', or a great product with a badge on the front associated with a scond-rate brand?

I'm not digging, just genuinely curious.

[britsportscars]

First a 4x4 then a diesel, then an ugly saloon now a small(er) saloon... Mr Porsche will be rolling in his grave!

• 918 does look awesome though!

[mat205125]

Riggers said:

gherkins said:

Exclusive picture:






Done in 2 mins in Paintbrush - but no worse than the usual Auto Express jobbies

Genius. Do you want a job?

..... so a Peugeot 607 then

[Beefmeister]

If it makes more money for Porsche, which in turn enables them to continue making cars like the GT3 RS, then go for it.

[flattotheboards]

ChipsAndCheese said:

At this rate they will end up further diluting the Porsche brand until it is just another Audi, BMW or Mercedes.

I'll don my flameproof jacket, but I think they already have diluted the brand. Other than the 911 GT models, they arent special enough imo and are just posh BMW's (insert other 'premium' german brand here). Shame really because they have made some superb cars.

[thewheelman]

The 989 project failed (thankfully)


The person that thought this up should be sectioned...


Yet i'd love to see the Cayman Shooting brake happen...

[zebedee]

Beefmeister said:

If it makes more money for Porsche, which in turn enables them to continue making cars like the GT3 RS, then go for it.

hopefully they might think about styling this one though.

[ChipsAndCheese]

Matt UK said:

ChipsAndCheese said:

I really hope they don't do this. Just because they are now under the VW umbrella shouldn't mean they need a million different model line up.

At this rate they will end up further diluting the Porsche brand until it is just another Audi, BMW or Mercedes and the roads become flooded with Porsche rep cars.

More into 'products' than 'brands' myself.

Would you rather drive a second-rate product cleverly marketed into a desirable 'brand', or a great product with a badge on the front associated with a scond-rate brand?

I'm not digging, just genuinely curious.

What has that got to do with what I said? Diluting the brand doesn't mean second rate products. Porsche has always had a great brand and great products.

I do not doubt that if they were to build this it would be very good, and it would probably have a more 'sporty' feel than rivals, but my point is that it does further dilute Porsche's long held image as a prestige sports car manufacturer.

Yes they already did this with the Cayenne and Panamera, and it'll get worse with the Cajun. Add a lower level saloon and they are close to becoming just another German executive car manufacturer.