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Porsche to expand range, Ferrari fighter a possibility

Porsche has something new on the way; not just the Cayman GT4 or 911 GT3 RS from the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, but a completely different, seventh model line. Unfortunately, the company is keeping mum about what exactly it has on the way. Porsche chairman Matthias Muller (pictured above) snuck the announcement into his speech during the brand's recent press conference. "For example, in the not too distant future we will present a seventh model series. But I am not yet able to tell you exactly when this will happen. There are already promising plans, but no board decision yet." Separately, Muller also indicated that the brand didn't want to set targets too far beyond 2018, which hints when this new vehicle might be unveiled. To lend one more possible clue, the boss said, "the high-speed high-tech laboratory of the 919 Hybrid will benefit all our future vehicles." With the absence of any more facts, speculation is filling the vacuum. Bloomberg posits that this could be Porsche's rumored competitors against Ferrari or Tesla. An electric model is rumored for 2019 with up to 600 horsepower and 300-mile range. "Tesla has built an exceptional car," Muller said, according to Bloomberg. "They have a very pragmatic approach and set the standard, where we have to follow up now." The model could also be the once-confirmed and reportedly-canceled Ferrari challenger to slot between the top 560-hp 911 Turbo S and sold-out, 887-hp 918 Spyder. There is a hole in the lineup in that niche with the latest Ferrari 488 GTB making 661 hp. Of course, there's also the already-spied Pajun four-door as yet another possibility. It's also rumored to hit the market in 2019. Although, some speculation postulates that that this smaller vehicle and the Tesla competitor are actually the same thing. Show full PR text Matthias Muller ? Annual Press Conference 2015 ? March 13, 2015 Ladies and gentlemen, After looking at business year 2014 in detail, I would now like to put my focus on 2015 and the medium-term future. The new business year started extremely well for Porsche. We were able to follow up on the success of the previous year with good delivery figures. By the end of February, we had already delivered 31,000 new vehicles to our customers worldwide. This is approximately a third more than the first two months of 2014. These figures are particularly pleasing because the global environment has not improved and is anything but easy.

2015 Porsche Cayenne GTS proves performance is relative

The Turbo may be the most powerful model in the Cayenne range, but the GTS is arguably the enthusiast's choice. (In so far as a 4,500-pound crossover can be considered an "enthusiast's choice," anyway.) And now, after refreshing the rest of the Cayenne lineup, Porsche has revealed the new Cayenne GTS, alongside its new 911 GTS stablemate, here at the LA Auto Show. Like the new Cayenne S, the new GTS drops the previous version's atmospheric V8 for a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6, but ups the output to 440 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque to propel Zuffenhausen's portliest to 62 in a scant 5.2 seconds. Alongside the power upgrade, the GTS gets a lowered air suspension and sportier exhaust, the beefier brakes from the Cayenne Turbo and an upgraded aero kit to help with the whole barn-door-profile thing. Just don't expect all that extra kit and the prestige of a Porsche badge on your crossover to come cheap, with prices starting at $95,500 (plus $995 destination).

$1.4B hedge fund suit against Porsche dismissed

Investors have canvassed courts in Europe and the US to repeatedly sue Porsche over its failed attempt to take over Volkswagen in 2008 (see here, and here and here), and they have repeatedly failed to win any cases. You can add another big loss to the tally, with Bloomberg reporting that the Stuttgart Regional Court has dismissed a 1.4-billion euro ($1.95B US) lawsuit, the decision explained by the court's assertion that the investors would have lost on their short bets even if Porsche hadn't misled them.
Examining the hedge funds' motives for stock purchases and the bets that VW share prices would fall, judge Carola Wittig said that the funds didn't base their decisions on the key bits of "misinformation," and instead were participating simply in "highly speculative and naked short selling," only to get caught out.
With other cases still pending, the continued streak of victories bodes well for Porsche's courtroom fortunes, since judges will expect new information to consider overturning precedent. If there is any new info, it could come from the potential criminal cases still outstanding against former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and CFO Holger Härter, who were both indicted on charges of market manipulation.