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Porsche to debut new model every year until 2018: report

Porsche boss, Matthias Mueller, recently revealed to Automotive News Europe the company's plans from now until 2018. Porsche is planning to launch a new model every year leading up to 2018, and plans to stretch total sales - currently 97,000 annually (2010) - out to 200,000.


In a detailed interview, Mr Mueller said the company will always remain a sports car maker, and regardless of market segment - off-road, convertible, etc. - Porsche is adamant on continuing its true sporty focus. So that's good news.

As well as launching brand new models, Mr Mueller said the company will bring out revamped versions of existing models. He says the new Porsche 911 is set to debut towards the end of this year, along with around 22 different 911 variants to follow, as well as new models for the Cayman and Boxster.

Mr Mueller said the company is planning on announcing a Porsche Panamera plug-in hybrid as well in the near future, but doesn't see electric vehicle sales dominating the auto market by 2020, as experts have predicted. Mr Mueller said rather than EVs making up 20 percent of the market in 2020 as predicted, he expects a more modest three to five percent market share is more likely. So EV Porsche vehicles might not be high on priority lists at the moment.

So what new cars did he hint at?

Mr Mueller said a Porsche Panamera two-door coupe is on the cards, as well as a long-wheel base variant. He also said the new 'mini-Cayenne' Porsche Cajun will be a part of the new vehicle line-up of the next six or so years, as well as a new mid-engine sports car platform that will be the basis for an upcoming Volkswagen model as well. Mr Mueller said,

"Yes, we will develop the Cayman-Boxster line as the basis for other future sports cars."

He also said a new Porsche 550 Spyder successor might be on the cards, saying,

"For 2014, I could imagine a legitimate successor to the Porsche 550 - namely, a small mid-engine sports car. Actually, I couldn't imagine a better name for a small roadster like that than the 550."

There's also the Porsche 918 Spyder that will be launched at some time around 2012, and, interestingly, a new model to fill the gap between it and the top-shelf 911, the Porsche 911 GT2. This gap-filling model will be targeted more towards Ferrari models. Mr Mueller said,

"Between the two there is still a gap where Italian competitors are currently very active. We are investigating that as an in-house project. We will make a decision by the middle of the year."

In addition to bringing out brand new models, Porsche is also aiming to spread sales throughout the US and China, increasing showroom density and model availability in those areas.

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