[opinion] - hmmm…VW/Audi/Porsche may be in trouble…

[whitex]

They might also consider not sending so many "we have a great offer just for you, call this number to make an appointment" comms to save some cash.

I've had three SMS, 2x missed calls and now a glossy card affair through the post.

None of which gave any indication of what "special" is.

Just put some example numbers in to hook me and quit with the spam FFS. Otherwise all I'm thinking is that your numbers aren't special at all. And I don't have time to book an appointment to tell me my new "upgrade" will cost me £70k.

It gets worse. Porsche has been sending me advertisements to buy a Taycan for at least 2 years during which there was no cars, nor allocations, available - heck one dealer wanted a non-refundable $15K to just get on a waitlist. When the Macan EV came out, I got more advertising for that, even though my dealer confirmed they had no allocations available, nor on the horizon. I never understood what the point of those advertisements was. The best theory I could come up with was that this is Porsche's exclusivity by artificial scarcity play - hype up a Porsche model, then keep the supply super short. This might work on cars like 911 GR3 RS, but I sincerely doubt it will work on Taycans or Macans. Maybe the slowing sales are because either they don't have the production capacity, or the dealers are screwing Porsche by telling customers cars are not available.?

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[Murph7355]

It gets worse. Porsche has been sending me advertisements to buy a Taycan for at least 2 years during which there was no cars, nor allocations, available - heck one dealer wanted a non-refundable $15K to just get on a waitlist. When the Macan EV came out, I got more advertising for that, even though my dealer confirmed they had no allocations available, nor on the horizon. I never understood what the point of those advertisements was. The best theory I could come up with was that this is Porsche's exclusivity by artificial scarcity play - hype up a Porsche model, then keep the supply super short. This might work on cars like 911 GR3 RS, but I sincerely doubt it will work on Taycans or Macans. Maybe the slowing sales are because either they don't have the production capacity, or the dealers are screwing Porsche by telling customers cars are not available.?

The fake scarcity thing is definitely what it is. They need to stop it.

I guess the view is that if customers can't get into cars *right now* they'll be tempted into used cars to shore up those values. It's BS.

The Taycan's a fantastic car. But their antics over Covid did not help it one bit, the recalls have not helped it one bit, and then latterly the build in, and unnecessary, obsolesence is icing on the cake.

 

[chun]

I guess the view is that if customers can't get into cars *right now* they'll be tempted into used cars to shore up those values. It's BS.

If they want values of used EVs / taycans to go up, they should offer reassurance in terms of battery repairs - increase warranty to 10 years, make it an option to upgrade to j1.2 battery by trading in your old battery full of recalls, start updating software of older cars instead of abandoning them.

But let's be real, that's not why they are doing it. Most people already buy used EVs, it's plastered everywhere that it's the best way to buy EVs; and values aren't going up.

 

[whitex]

The fake scarcity thing is definitely what it is. They need to stop it.

I guess the view is that if customers can't get into cars *right now* they'll be tempted into used cars to shore up those values. It's BS.

I somehow don't see someone shopping for a Macan EV picking up a used Macan ICE, since there are no used Macan EV's (at leas not a few months back when I inquired about an allocation).

 

[kempez]

I somehow don't see someone shopping for a Macan EV picking up a used Macan ICE, since there are no used Macan EV's (at leas not a few months back when I inquired about an allocation).

Lots here in the UK. But they are expensive

But agreed, I do now know why you'd cross shop a Macan EV and a ICE car. At best you may go hybrid...maybe

 

[Fish Fingers]

They might also consider not sending so many "we have a great offer just for you, call this number to make an appointment" comms to save some cash.

I've had three SMS, 2x missed calls and now a glossy card affair through the post.

None of which gave any indication of what "special" is.

Just put some example numbers in to hook me and quit with the spam FFS. Otherwise all I'm thinking is that your numbers aren't special at all. And I don't have time to book an appointment to tell me my new "upgrade" will cost me £70k.

I have had a shed load of this tat in recent weeks, including the letter this weekend.

Even more infuriating since I constantly opt out / unsubscibed for everything once I sold the car.

So it's even more tacky that they are resorting to using 1980s double glazing sales techniques AND ignoring GDPR legislation.

 

[daveo4EV]

unflattering is an understatement…this legacy car companies are really really out of their depth on digital…

 

[whitex]

unflattering is an understatement…this legacy car companies are really really out of their depth on digital…

I knew it was a disaster, but didn't realize it was this much of a clusterfuck. I guess none of their MBA's ever read The Innovator's Dilemma, or they did read it, then decided they knew better. 6000 person startup? WTF?

This came to mind:

 

[Murph7355]

unflattering is an understatement…this legacy car companies are really really out of their depth on digital…

Company run by accountants employs crap middle managers to do something novel, and tries to do it somewhere allergic to working hard, fails to compete shocker.

 

[Tooney]

Rimac Wants Full Control of Bugatti
CEO Mate Rimac is negotiating to buy Porsche's 45 percent stake in Bugatti Rimac

It's only been four years since Rimac Group and Porsche joined forces to create Bugatti Rimac, but apparently, CEO Mate Rimac is already tired of the bureaucracy. Rimac is itching to take control of the joint venture and is in negotiations to buy out Porsche's stake in the company.

Mate told Bloomberg in a recent interview, syndicated by Automotive News, that he has the investors necessary to take complete control of the joint venture, capable of buying Porsche's 45-percent stake in the tie-up. Mate allegedly offered the German automaker around €1 billion ($1.2 billion at today's exchange rate) for its share in April.

 

[tigerbalm]

"I am digital" said no successful startup ever!

 

[Tooney]

Porsche brings back SUV boss Leiters to assume 'poisoned chalice'

 

[chun]

Well, Porsche says there is no demand for EV cars.

Meanwhile, BMW says the demand is so high, that they aren't prepared: https://www.carscoops.com/2025/10/bmw-cant-keep-up-with-demand-for-its-new-electric-suv/

Mercedes is moving ahead with investments in new EV platform, moving in-house the production of their ECUs & software, and having a zonal arhitecture, prepared for the future.

Audi is moving ahead with their EV plans, getting their 2 door sport EV close to production, showcasing new drive train, new infotainment rocking new hardware and software:

In Asia, and China specifically, demand for high technology EVs is at an all time high and continues to grow month to month, with Xiaomi selling more cars than they can produce and announcing expansion into EU in 2027.

So who's right, everyone else or Porssche? BMW, Mercedes, Audi betting on EV market and pointing out high demand, together with all the Chinese manufacturers, OR Porsche that says that demand is horrible and EV market is a shit hole, and we need to go back to ICE?

I think Porsche is heading in the direction of dinosaurs, to extinction. Hopefully the new CEO can turn it around, as he was one of the pioneers of plug-in hybrids and electrification both at Porsche in the past & McLaren.

What is Certain is that for customers that want EV cars built on EV platforms, bringing state of the art technology to the market in the next few years, Porsche is not one of the companies that is willing to do it.

 

[prj]

Q5 has a transverse engine layout, Macan has (had) a longitudinal engine which enables rear torque bias. One of the deep mods in the platform which makes all the difference in dynamic terms.

A bit late reply, but there are no Q5's with a transverse engine layout.
The Q5 is MLB platform, same as the Audi A4 and the launch Macan was a Q5 that had a 3.0 and 3.6 Porsche V6 (rest of the engines were straight from the Q5).
After the facelift no more Porsche engines were fitted. Just the RS4 V6 on the more powerful variants.

So yes, it is a Q5 just like the Cayenne is a Touareg/Q7/Q8.

The Macan EV is the same as an Audi Q6.

 

[whitex]

Well, Porsche says there is no demand for EV cars.

Meanwhile, BMW says the demand is so high, that they aren't prepared: https://www.carscoops.com/2025/10/bmw-cant-keep-up-with-demand-for-its-new-electric-suv/

Mercedes is moving ahead with investments in new EV platform, moving in-house the production of their ECUs & software, and having a zonal arhitecture, prepared for the future.

Audi is moving ahead with their EV plans, getting their 2 door sport EV close to production, showcasing new drive train, new infotainment rocking new hardware and software:

In Asia, and China specifically, demand for high technology EVs is at an all time high and continues to grow month to month, with Xiaomi selling more cars than they can produce and announcing expansion into EU in 2027.

So who's right, everyone else or Porssche? BMW, Mercedes, Audi betting on EV market and pointing out high demand, together with all the Chinese manufacturers, OR Porsche that says that demand is horrible and EV market is a shit hole, and we need to go back to ICE?

I think Porsche is heading in the direction of dinosaurs, to extinction. Hopefully the new CEO can turn it around, as he was one of the pioneers of plug-in hybrids and electrification both at Porsche in the past & McLaren.

What is Certain is that for customers that want EV cars built on EV platforms, bringing state of the art technology to the market in the next few years, Porsche is not one of the companies that is willing to do it.

I think Porsche is conflating EV with modern tech car. Customers cars with modern feature sets, and BEV drive train is just one of such modern features customers want. Even in ICE cars, customers want modern features, but Porsche thinks if they stay with old drive train technology, they will capture customers who don't want new tech for anything, even infotainment or usability. Maybe they are right to some degree and they will capture some customers who don't like change (maybe there will be a quarter million 911 with an in-dash 8-track player available). I sure hope they have a long term game plan though, once you know, the old customers die off and museums have enough old Porsches.

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