No sub-Boxster roadster from Porsche
Just as it had in 2009, Porsche has announced that it will not be making a new roadster that will slot in below the Boxster. Production plans for the entry-level soft-top have been binned as Detlev von Platen, CEO of Porsche Cars North America was quoted saying, “You won’t see anything lower than the current Boxster model. We had many discussions about this in the group, and the decision was made that the time is not right.”
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No new models under the Boxster says Porsche[/caption]
Back in 2009, the German sportscar manufacturer had briefly announced plans to introduce a roadster positioned below the Boxster, though scrapped those plans later. This time around, we even had a whole lot of information about the car to come- it would be a mid-engined roadster based on the Boxster platform, monikered the ‘718’ (a throwback to the open-cockpit racing car built by Porsche between 1957 and 1962). The new roadster would also have boasted of unique styling, thinner windows, high-strength steel/aluminium components, and a manually operated fabric roof. All these mods would have brought the weight down to just 1190kg, down from the Boxster’s 1345kg.
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The new range of flat-fours would have powered the would-be 718[/caption]
We had even heard that the 2.0 and 2.5-litre engines Porsche’s new range of flat-fours would have made an appearance in the new roadster. Enthusiasts were thrilled by the news of an under 1.2 ton car, sharing its underpinnings with the Boxster, and having a mid-mounted 395bhp engine (power-to-weight would be an impressive 303bhp/ton) which would have translated to sub 4-second 0–100kmph times.
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The 918 was Porsche’s first entry level car[/caption]
Detlev von Platen, has with this announcement, shattered the hopes of an entry-level Porsche though, with sound logic to back him up. “Our entry model is our pre-owned program,” claims the CEO of Porsche Cars North America. Porsche has only twice offered entry-level models, both of which shared great success. There was the popular Porsche 914 during the late 1960s, the was mostly powered by a range of Volkswagen motors, and in 1975, Porsche launched the 924, powered by another VW group engine, the car was originally designed to be a proper Volkswagen.
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The 918 was followed by the 924 (above), both of which enjoyed good sales[/caption]
The German manufacturer’s new stance regarding a cheaper model could mean that they are not interested in further diluting the brand’s image. Porsche’s foray into the SUV segment, with the Macan and Cayenne, and into the sedan segment, with the Panamera, are already looked upon as sacrilegious by purists, while the recent trend of ‘down-sizing and turbocharging’ embraced by the VW group in general has also soured the moods of some.
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One of these pre-owned beauties could be yours for around Rs 10 lakh[/caption]
However, when looked at logically, is an entry-level Porsche really nessecary? The sportscar maker does have a good pre-owned program that allows you to buy a a 15 year old Boxster for a paltry sum of Rs 8 lakhs (excluding taxes and duties), which could be the perfect way to get your hands on a Porsche.
When Porsche’s under-development flat-four engines do debut, it’ll make sense for the auto maker to have a cheaper, stripped-down version of the Boxster or Cayman with the 1.6-litre 210bhp mill, but till then, keep calm, and buy a pre-owned Porsche.
