Rumours of a sub-Boxster model have been doing the rounds for a couple of years now, but it seems that the idea of a baby Porsche has fallen by the wayside.
According to a report in German business magazine WirtshaftsWoche, Porsche boss, Mattias Mueller, stated that such a model will require “a new generation of customers” to become a viable addition to the company’s line-up. Given automakers' current proclivity towards smaller, more fuel-efficient models, it seems somewhat surprising that Porsche should choose to shelve such a project, especially if it could draw influence from a recognisable icon such as the 356.
There are, however, a couple of factors that could explain this move, the most notable of which is Volkswagen’s potential move to can a production version of its mid-engined BlueSport. The BlueSport made its official debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and featured a 2,0-litre TDI engine producing 130 kW and 350 N.m of torque. In addition to acting as a blueprint for a potential VW model, the BlueSport was also set to underpin both the baby Porsche and a new sports model for Audi, which was going to be positioned beneath the R8.
A major factor in VW‘s decision to potentially pull the BlueSport is the reluctance of the company’s US arm to include the model as part of its plan to achieve sales of 800 000 units in that country. “To get to 800 000 units, we don’t need to keep adding to our portfolio of models. We’re concentrating on our core models," said VW of America boss, Jonathan Browning.
Despite this development, Volkswagen is still planning to unveil a mid-engined prototype later this year. Should this project rekindle international interest in compact, mid-engined models, there could still be a reprieve for the BlueSport and its Audi/Porsche spin-offs.