Paywalled unfortunately so covers the board changes etc, however some of the reasons for the drop in sales:
"Many new Chinese vehicles resemble their German rivals, like the wildly popular Xiaomi SU7, which mimics Porsche’s Taycan. The SU7 rivals the Taycan in power and braking, but it also includes integrated artificial intelligence that can, for instance, help with parking and greet drivers with their favorite song. The cherry on top: It sells for roughly half the price of a Taycan."
"As a result, the German automakers that for decades commanded China’s premium car market are now seeing their sales dwindle, while Xiaomi — a leading Chinese smartphone manufacturer — last year sold more than 100,000 models of the SU7"
"Market experts said advances in software and features such as automated driving and remote control had become standard in Chinese electric cars, pressuring European automakers used to cashing in on their brand names to step up their game."
"Adding to the pressure, President Trump has directed his advisers to devise new tariff levels for America’s trading partners, including the European Union. This could hurt Porsche, which, unlike BMW, Mercedes-Benz or other Volkswagen brands, supplies its U.S. market only with exports from Germany."
"The SU7 is not yet available for export, but a few models have reached the United States. James D. Farley Jr., the chief executive of Ford Motor, said he had one shipped from Shanghai to Chicagoto drive for six months and “didn’t want to give it up.”"
Going to be a challenge for our favourite brand........
NYT Today: why Porsche is failing in China
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Stormy_Monday
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It'll be interesting to see how or if porsche rationalizes the business for the immediate future and beyond. Interesting times for the car industry
Red Cars Rule
2022 718 Boxster GTS 4.0
2025 Cayenne e-Hybrid
2015 Ferrari California T
2022 718 Boxster GTS 4.0
2025 Cayenne e-Hybrid
2015 Ferrari California T
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Arne2
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The next 10 years will see huge changes in the auto industry. Technology and consumer demands are evolving quickly. The nimble auto makers will thrive, and the traditional big conglomerates might not.
Despite owning 3 Porsches over the past 13+ years (or 5, depending on whether you count the 2 short term cars I restored and flipped), I hesitate to call Porsche my 'favourite brand'. I've never been one with a lot of brand loyalty, and don't buy into the whole Porsche lifestyle thing. I have owned Porsche sportscars ('84 Carrera, 7 years; '72 911T, 3 years; '18 718 Cayman, 3 years and counting) because I feel they are the best all-purpose, semi-practical sports cars available. Once that stops being true, I (and probably others) will move on. And THAT is Porsche's challenge...
- Arne
Current Porsche - 2018 718 Cayman 2.0 litre
Past Porsches:
Current Porsche - 2018 718 Cayman 2.0 litre
Past Porsches:
- 1972 911T coupe, silver
- 1984 911 Carrera 3.2 coupe, Chiffon White
- 1973 914 2.0, Saturn Yellow
- 1984 944, silver
Agreed. I have some Porsches but have never been exclusive.
One of the challenges for legacy automakers is going to be software. Apart from Tesla, the interfaces are very much an afterthought. When I look at my 2003 Mercedes SL for instance, primitive CD nav system, not upgradable, no bluetooth, no Apple play and so on.
Modern Porsche interfaces are massively complex firstly and manufacturers also rely on a fairly narrow range of chips for long periods which also limits their progress. The auto makers are scared of the tech companies, but that is an issue that can be solved by revenue sharing. I used to work in Telecom and was involved in the iPhone launch. At the time the telcos thought that they could keep all the revenue on the mobile phone and deliver all the services which was naive. Eventually the iPhone was launched and Apple kept most of the services.
Equally, I would love to see a car with minimal embedded software and just a connection to a mobile phone which downloads the appropriate Porsche ( or any other brand) and remembers my preferences across multiple brands. Most importantly it is upgradable. Today older cars are mostly distinguished by obsolete interfaces.
The Chinese ( and to some degree Tesla) have figured out that keeping software current is a basic piece of to the pie. Look how many running upgrades you get in an iPhone over its life. Imagine if your car were to be the same. Personally if I were Porsche I would do a deal with Apple and embed the best services possible . Porsche is great an engineering, not at computer technology.
One of the challenges for legacy automakers is going to be software. Apart from Tesla, the interfaces are very much an afterthought. When I look at my 2003 Mercedes SL for instance, primitive CD nav system, not upgradable, no bluetooth, no Apple play and so on.
Modern Porsche interfaces are massively complex firstly and manufacturers also rely on a fairly narrow range of chips for long periods which also limits their progress. The auto makers are scared of the tech companies, but that is an issue that can be solved by revenue sharing. I used to work in Telecom and was involved in the iPhone launch. At the time the telcos thought that they could keep all the revenue on the mobile phone and deliver all the services which was naive. Eventually the iPhone was launched and Apple kept most of the services.
Equally, I would love to see a car with minimal embedded software and just a connection to a mobile phone which downloads the appropriate Porsche ( or any other brand) and remembers my preferences across multiple brands. Most importantly it is upgradable. Today older cars are mostly distinguished by obsolete interfaces.
The Chinese ( and to some degree Tesla) have figured out that keeping software current is a basic piece of to the pie. Look how many running upgrades you get in an iPhone over its life. Imagine if your car were to be the same. Personally if I were Porsche I would do a deal with Apple and embed the best services possible . Porsche is great an engineering, not at computer technology.
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Darkbeer
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I...am a completely loyal Porsche owner/buyer, since 1970. I agree with above....they REALLY have to snatch up some wiz-bang techies to interface with that industry. I also agree, a collaboration with Apple or Motorola (the investors of the 'car radio') or Samsung would be huge for all parties. I, live just fine in the dwindling 'analog' world...BUT...agree that voice commands and AI are the future of automobiles....(sadly)
Saw my 1st Porsche, in 1962, at age 11, whilst riding with Dad in his VW, in Tucson, AZ.
Love at 1st sight....
Now, 35 Porsches later.....what can I say.
Redwood Region, PCA
Love at 1st sight....
Now, 35 Porsches later.....what can I say.Redwood Region, PCA
I think it is what you grow up with...I grew up in a world with no EVs, no internet, no social media, no mobility. Cars were stick shift, no electronics, cruise control, collision avoidance, ABS and so on. While I am comfortable with all this stuff I took to it as an adult. It's like learning a language as an adult as against learning it at two years old. Thus, the consumer of the future cannot imagine such a world, just as I could not relate to horse-drawn carriages or steam trains.
It follows that the vast majority of cars will not rely on the pure experience of driving but also a whole set of services. I actually use only a few things with as Waze and the occasional hands free call, but I understand that I come from a veery different world to the current 20 year olds.
The German manufacturers have a brilliant engineering culture and see the car as a driving tool, ( as I do), but when you think how difficult it was for them to do something like cupholders, the leap to AppleTalk or the like is huge.
I was always amused at the weird variety of cupholders I have had in German cars ranging from none to something that looked like a little toilet in the SL, to a weird metal loop thing that looked like a gynaceological instrument in my BMW M6, to the current Porsche iteration in the 992 that causes the cup to collide with the stick shift.
I know, I know, cars are for driving!..
I always thought that the German designers got together at a snow-covered cabin each winter to drink schnapps and toast the designer who came up with the weirdest cupholder for those strange people in North America who wanted cupholders." Ach, Heinz, they have something called a drive- in over there?...let's give them a new designs that spills the coffee!" and so, the award of a large bottle of schnapps is given to the winner of the weirdest design.
If they can do that with cupholders, making a user interface for a car is a bridge too far:).........
It follows that the vast majority of cars will not rely on the pure experience of driving but also a whole set of services. I actually use only a few things with as Waze and the occasional hands free call, but I understand that I come from a veery different world to the current 20 year olds.
The German manufacturers have a brilliant engineering culture and see the car as a driving tool, ( as I do), but when you think how difficult it was for them to do something like cupholders, the leap to AppleTalk or the like is huge.
I was always amused at the weird variety of cupholders I have had in German cars ranging from none to something that looked like a little toilet in the SL, to a weird metal loop thing that looked like a gynaceological instrument in my BMW M6, to the current Porsche iteration in the 992 that causes the cup to collide with the stick shift.
I know, I know, cars are for driving!..I always thought that the German designers got together at a snow-covered cabin each winter to drink schnapps and toast the designer who came up with the weirdest cupholder for those strange people in North America who wanted cupholders." Ach, Heinz, they have something called a drive- in over there?...let's give them a new designs that spills the coffee!" and so, the award of a large bottle of schnapps is given to the winner of the weirdest design.
If they can do that with cupholders, making a user interface for a car is a bridge too far:).........