Porsche serves up hint on new 928…

By Dan Strong

20th April 2009

At a round table meeting at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show, the German car firm’s design chief Michael Maur explained that although he was still busy with the newly launched Panamera, he was also working on a successor to the 911.

However, it also emerged that this successor might be much more than a simple evolution of the new generation 911, and instead join the firm’s range as a fifth variant, alongside the long lived coupe.

When pressed harder on the subject, the firm’s head of sales and marketing Klaus Berning, refused to comment further – but did admit that this sector of the market was of particular interest.

Latest sales figures show a decline in the number of entry level Porsches – like Boxster and Caymen – finding new homes, while flagship machines like the 911 and particularly Cayenne remain in high demand.

Though there is no firm date for the launch of a new 928, the firm looks set to base the new model on the Panamera chassis. Sporting three doors and a hatchback, the car would be a direct rival to the likes of the Bentley Continental GTC.

There’s no word on engines, however it’s possible that the model could usher in radical new technology as at the same interview the firm also explained that it was investigating the potential for powering its future cars with smaller, supercharged engines to help reduce emissions.

The firm is also working to introduce its stop and start technology, as seen on the new Panamera, to other models in its line up, including the Cayenne. For the time being, though there will be no such development for the 911… “we have already improved this vehicles emissions performance by as 25 percent,” said Berning.

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