This is a classic case of kids fighting to get parent’s attention. In this case, the two kids are auto giants Porsche and Audi. The recently acquired Porsche was fighting with Audi to get the nod for making sports car for their parent company, the ever expanding Volkswagen Group. In the end, Porsche won the heart of Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn. This means Porsche will develop the platforms that will underpin future high-performance machines. That just left Audi green faced with envy.
Porsche will also be responsible for a new sports car platform (for both front-mid and rear-mid engines) that will be shared with the likes of Audi and Lamborghini. In addition, Porsche will also be tasked with the next generation “modular standard matrix” platform for its Panamera sedan, which will also be shared with Bentley.
The report from auto industry says that the recent announcement that Porsche will invest 150 million euros in its R&D centre in Weissach plus the hiring of 100 engineers is linked to this responsibility.
Source: Automotive News
