10.28.16 - 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

Volkswagen, Say it Isn’t So

While it’s not real surprise that the Volkswagen diesel scandal will have an adverse effect on the vehicles they produce, this financial disaster for the brand is actually going to affect more of Volkswagen Group that first was announced. The fact that Volkswagen Group is comprised of twelve different brands gives it a massive reach and the ability to pool money when needed to ensure these brands are able to stay active and vibrant in the marketplace. When news of this scandal broke, Volkswagen Group began to figure out where they could get the money from to handle the scandal that was in front of them with an original estimate of nearly $46 billion that would be needed to handle the costs.

While the final estimate is nearly only one third of the original estimated cost, there may be additional costs associated with this scandal that requires Volkswagen Group to keep some of the money put aside to ensure the possibility of added costs can be taken care of. In order to prepare the twelve brands for this possibility CEO of Volkswagen Matthias Muller announced last year that any of the projects that weren’t absolutely necessary would be cancelled or delayed.

Because of this it seems the next supercar from Porsche will be put on hold and possibly won’t have a release date until around 2026. This car was originally planned for a 2019 release and would easily compete against other exotics such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren models. This new supercar was to be called the Porsche 960, but it may end up with a different name when it finally does make its way to the market as a car that will be part of the Porsche lineup, offering those with the money and desire to enjoy an amazing vehicle to drive.

The Porsche 960 was to make use of the new quad turbocharged flat eight-cylinder engine and bring in nearly 650 horsepower with a two-seater built that would make this the new perfectly balanced driving machine from Porsche the car so many would want to have in their collection. Those who thought they would be able to reserve this car and be ready for deliver in 2019 will now have to wait an additional seven years before they can see this plan come to complete fruition.

Why would Volkswagen Group cancel a car that would bring in the amount of money per sale that the Porsche 960 would offer? The reality is a limited production car is often a source of money losses for a company and these cars are only offered to keep our interest in the brand while the higher volume cars that sell at faster rates are the profit producers many companies need to enjoy and have in their lineup. For this reason any project that would drain the coffers at Volkswagen Group will be put on hold until this financial disaster has passed and Volkswagen is once again the respected name in the industry it once was.

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