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

[Zcd1]

Porsche Confirms Gas Macan Is Ending Production This Summer Because Who Needs Cars That Sell?
Between the introduction of the new Macan Electric and *checks notes* European cybersecurity rules, we've known for a while that the gas-powered Porsche Macan would be ending production at some point soon. The end is now official, after CFO Jochen Breckner said production will be stopped this summer on a Wednesday earnings call, per Automotive News. The car is built in Leipzig, Germany, and Breckner says during that final month of production, "we will produce as much as we can."
. . .
From a macro business lens, the decision to pull the plug on the ICE Macan when a spiritual successor is still a couple of years out is a bit of a puzzling one. The company isn't doing so hot lately, posting a quarterly loss of $1.1 billion in Q3 2025 and recently giving up its stake in Rimac and Bugatti. Couple that with the current downturn in the demand for EVs, and right now may not be the best time to not have an entry-level, gas-powered, volume-selling crossover in your portfolio.

But I'm sure the folks who run Porsche are much smarter than I am, know what they're doing, and everything will turn out fine. Right?

There nothing wrong with the Macan EV with the exception of its pricing. (IMHO)

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[whitex]

Porsche is planning to sell the output of current production ramp-up through 2027, when presumably they will introduce a successor. My guess it will be a Macan EV converted to ICE or hybrid.

 

[chun]

My guess it will be a Macan EV converted to ICE or hybrid.

No, they already said in investor meeting it will be an audi ICE/Hybrid platform.
So just good old rebadge.

 

[whitex]

No, they already said in investor meeting it will be an audi ICE/Hybrid platform.
So just good old rebadge.

Macan EV is an Audi rebadge. Porsche service even uses Audi software instead of PIWIS to do updates/repairs.

 

[chun]

Macan EV is an Audi rebadge. Porsche service even uses Audi software instead of PIWIS to do updates/repairs.

My point was that it won’t be the same platform as the EV

 

[whitex]

My point was that it won’t be the same platform as the EV

So zero re-use from the Macan EV but still Audi? Or, a reworked Macan EV platform to accommodate a different drivetrain option?

 

[voksic]

So zero re-use from the Macan EV but still Audi? Or, a reworked Macan EV platform to accommodate a different drivetrain option?

It makes no sense to build it on top of EV platform when they already have an ICE platform in the same segment, of the same age.

 

[whitex]

It makes no sense to build it on top of EV platform when they already have an ICE platform in the same segment, of the same age.

Which ICE platform are you referring to (which can be configured to hybrid)?

 

[voksic]

Which ICE platform are you referring to (which can be configured to hybrid)?

Audi Q5 e-hybrid

 

[chun]

So zero re-use from the Macan EV but still Audi? Or, a reworked Macan EV platform to accommodate a different drivetrain option?

Yes, zero reuse from the EV - maybe infotainment.

It will be a rebadged Q5

 

[Tooney]

Porsche Cuts 500+ Jobs as It Refocuses on Sports Cars and SUVs

• Porsche is refocusing on core carmaking business amid shifting global market conditions.
• Three subsidiaries will be discontinued, affecting over 500 employees.
• “This forces us to make painful cuts – including our subsidiaries,” said Dr. Michael Leiters.

Porsche sharpens focus on core business - Porsche Newsroom

Porsche streamlines the Executive Board: Car-IT to be part of R&D in the future - Porsche Newsroom
The Car-IT division will be suspended, and Board Member Sajjad Khan will contribute his expertise in the future as part of a software partnership model.
. . .
Under Sajjad Khan’s leadership, Porsche has significantly advanced the driver experience – connectivity and infotainment – across its model range in recent years, creating a new and improved user experience. With the Cayenne electric, the new Porsche Digital Interaction design language has also been introduced. Intelligent software and advanced hardware are being combined to deliver a seamless, personalized, and connected driving experience. This philosophy and operating logic will now be rolled out to additional model lines, including dedicated versions for the Chinese market, which are being developed at Porsche’s R&D site in Shanghai.

Sajjad Khan will remain available to Porsche in the future for the development of Car-IT at the sports car manufacturer. Khan said: “I am proud of what we have achieved as a team over the past two and a half years. In a constantly evolving market environment, however, it is essential to continuously review and adapt structures and processes.” Only in this way can the required speed be achieved to keep up to pace with the transformation. “Porsche’s outstanding engineering expertise, combined with agile, results-driven software development, provides an excellent foundation for the future development of software components.”

The Car-IT division will continue to be managed by Sajjad Khan until 19 June and will then be integrated into the Research and Development division effective 1 July, 2026. Dr. Michael Steiner, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development, will continue to lead the expanded division, which will now include Car-IT.

 

[Tooney]

Volkswagen May Bring China-Built Cars to Europe

• CEO Oliver Blume considers selling China-developed cars in Europe and sharing plants with Chinese partners.
• VW may bring select China models to Europe, but faces tariffs, logistics, and other uncertainties.
• Blume said VW Group's Western operations could benefit from the Chinese subsidiary's “innovation, speed and practices.”

In an attempt to mitigate the effect of these measures, the automaker appears ready to do what not too long ago would have seemed unthinkable, namely selling China-developed cars in Europe and even sharing its underutilized plants in the region with its Chinese partners.
. . .
According to Wolfsburg’s head honcho, VW Group would check “if there are opportunities for our Chinese partners in Europe,” Reuters reported. When an analyst remarked that doing so could help Chinese makers further increase their market share in Europe, Blume downplayed the concerns.

He said one of the ideas could be “opening this for partnering, maybe with our partners we do have in China.” Volkswagen has three joint venture partners in China, all of which are owned by the Chinese state—SAIC, FAW, and JAC. VW also owns a stake in Chinese EV maker Xpeng. None of these Chinese automakers currently have production capacity in Europe.

Oliver Blume also floated the idea of bringing over to Europe some of the vehicles developed for China by Volkswagen and its partners. The CEO noted that VW is looking at “which models could fit in Europe, especially in segments where we are not present.” He noted that no final decision has been made, pointing to tariffs, logistics and other factors as potential hurdles.

 

[whitex]

VW just needs to figure out how to source the design and parts from China, do final assembly it in EU to avoid tariffs (perhaps just mounting wheels on pre-assembled cars?). Sadly, this may end up being the formula for survival for all incumbents - bring in the winning designs and rebadge them as your own. My only hope is that they use it as a stopgap solution, learn from it, and generate original designs outside of China which can compete with the Chinese ones.

Then again, maybe China is simply becoming the next superpower, like the US in post WW2 world. "The land of opportunity" will be China, and they will have the most influence over the world over the next 80 years.

PS> I imagine current US president will have his picture prominently featured in Chinese ruling party headquarters as the person who most helped the Chinese rule the world the most ever - by forcing them to develop their own technology (due to inability to use US or US partners' tech caused by sanctions) and by moving US away from being "world policeman", allowing China to jump right into the vacant spot, therefore gaining incredible influence over the world.

 

[Tooney]

Related daveo4EV post in a different thread:
Porsche can't compete (reduce pricing) on their EV's without undermining the current ICE Pricing trim/ladder…this the "core" in my opinion of how "their business model no longer works"…

 

[Tooney]

Authenticity the ultimate luxury, says Porsche - China Daily.com
For years, Porsche was one of the clearest symbols of the luxury car boom in China, where long waiting lists and strong resale values helped cement the sports carmaker's status among affluent buyers.

Now, as China's premium auto market undergoes one of its most dramatic transformations in decades, the German automaker is confronting a more difficult reality.

In the first quarter of 2026, Porsche delivered 7,519 vehicles in China, down 21 percent year-on-year.

Yet Alexander Pollich, president and CEO of Porsche China, does not view the weaker sales as a sign Chinese consumers are turning away from the brand.

"We believe brand desirability is not defined by delivery figures, but by the enduring strength of our heritage, the depth of our engineering, and the passion of our community," he told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

It has continued to stick to its "value over volume" strategy in China, although Pollich stressed that this does not mean accepting lower volumes as an end goal.
. . .
Rather than responding directly to local rivals on specifications or pricing, Porsche is betting that brand depth and emotional identity will remain key differentiators in China's evolving luxury market.

"In a world of increasingly homogenized digital experiences, authentic emotion becomes the ultimate luxury," Pollich said. "Our heritage provides that depth and credibility that cannot be copied or coded overnight."

That belief was visible at the recent Beijing auto show, where Porsche showcased not only its latest products but also heritage racing models and legacy icons — a strategy that contrasted with the technology-heavy presentations of many Chinese electric vehicle startups.

To mark 25 years in the Chinese mainland market, Porsche also unveiled a one-off collector's car: the Porsche 911 GT3 Sonderwunsch — 25 Years of Porsche in China.

Based on the 911 GT3, long regarded as one of the purest expressions of Porsche's motorsport engineering for the road, the vehicle was created under Porsche's highest-level Sonderwunsch customization program.

The car features a hand-painted livery symbolizing the Year of the Horse while referencing both the Porsche crest and the city emblem of Stuttgart.

More than a commemorative model, the car served as a symbolic statement of Porsche's long-term commitment to China and its belief that emotional connection remains central to luxury in the electric era.

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