Tag Archives: Porsche

News

Porsche Macan Misstep Shows Even Zuffenhausen Can Read the Road Wrong

Porsche doesn’t usually do public regret. The company that engineered perfection out of rear-engine weirdness and turned SUVs into profit-printing machines tends to move forward, not look back. But Oliver Blume, who stepped down as Porsche CEO on January 1 after a decade at the helm, is doing something rare: admitting the company got it wrong.

The mistake? Letting the first-generation Macan die without a gasoline-powered successor ready to take its place.

Blume, now solely focused on his role as Volkswagen Group CEO, told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that discontinuing the original Macan was a miscalculation. At the time, Porsche believed the electric Macan would seamlessly replace its combustion-engine predecessor. The data said it would work. The strategy looked sound. Reality, as it often does, had other plans.

“Our strategy was to offer combustion engines, hybrids, and electric sports cars in each of our three segments—but not for every product,” Blume said. “We were wrong about the Macan.”

That admission lands with weight, because the Macan isn’t just another Porsche model. Since its launch in 2014, it’s been one of the brand’s best-selling vehicles, a gateway drug to the Porsche ecosystem, and a masterclass in making an Audi-based crossover feel genuinely special. Killing it off without an immediate replacement wasn’t just a product decision—it was a revenue gamble.

Technically, the gasoline Macan isn’t gone yet. But it’s on borrowed time. The first-generation model was pulled from the European market in mid-2024 after failing to comply with the EU’s updated General Safety Regulation (GSR2) cybersecurity requirements. Globally, production is expected to wind down by mid-2026, leaving a conspicuous gap in Porsche showrooms.

The problem is that the electric Macan hasn’t filled that gap—at least not yet. While the EV represents a major technical leap for Porsche, buyers haven’t flocked to it in the numbers the company expected, particularly in markets where charging infrastructure, pricing, or simple buyer preference still favor combustion engines.

Porsche is now backtracking, carefully.

Rather than reviving the Macan name for a gas-powered sequel, the company is developing an all-new internal-combustion crossover positioned below the Cayenne. It’s slated to arrive in 2028 and will compete squarely in the same compact luxury SUV segment the Macan once dominated—just under a different badge.

Before stepping aside, Blume described the upcoming model as a “very, very typical Porsche,” while emphasizing that it would be clearly differentiated from the electric Macan. Translation: same showroom space, different propulsion philosophies.

Details remain thin, but Porsche has already hinted at where the hardware will come from. The new crossover will “benefit from synergies,” corporate shorthand for platform sharing. Expect it to be closely related to the latest Audi Q5, riding on the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC).

That’s where things get interesting—and potentially tricky.

The outgoing Macan also shared DNA with the Q5, but Porsche famously went to great lengths to make it feel like a Porsche. The all-wheel-drive system was rear-biased, the steering sharper, the chassis more alive. This time, Porsche faces tighter constraints. Deep reengineering costs money and time, and both are already being consumed elsewhere.

The company is pouring resources into a large three-row SUV—once envisioned as electric-only—that will now launch with combustion engines. At the same time, Porsche has reversed course on the Boxster and Cayman, confirming that the 718 twins will retain gasoline power rather than going fully electric as originally planned.

Against that backdrop, the new ICE crossover can’t become a science project. Reports suggest it may retain Audi’s front-wheel-drive-based Quattro Ultra system, a setup that prioritizes efficiency over the rear-drive feel Porsche buyers expect. If true, Zuffenhausen will need to work hard to ensure the driving experience matches the badge on the hood.

All of this underscores a broader reality: Porsche’s EV transition hasn’t been abandoned, but it has been recalibrated. The company still believes in electrification—but not at the expense of products customers clearly still want.

As for Blume, he isn’t going anywhere. His contract as Volkswagen Group CEO now runs through the end of 2030, giving him oversight of one of the industry’s largest and most complex automotive empires. With Porsche now under separate leadership, the split makes sense. Each brand gets the focus it needs, and Blume gets a clearer view from 30,000 feet.

If nothing else, the Macan episode proves that even Porsche—arguably the best product-planning automaker in the business—can misread the road ahead. The difference is that when Porsche course-corrects, it does so quickly, decisively, and with just enough humility to admit the miss.

Now comes the hard part: making the fix feel like it was the plan all along.

Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

News

A Billion-Euro Question: Who Buys Porsche’s Share of Bugatti Rimac?

In the rarified air where nine-figure hypercars meet nine-figure balance sheets, ownership can be just as transient as a Nürburgring lap record. The latest example comes from the Bugatti Rimac joint venture, where Porsche’s sizable stake may soon be looking for a new garage.

According to new reports, a venture capital fund co-founded by a descendant of Egypt’s billionaire Sawiris family is part of a group in talks to acquire Porsche’s share of Bugatti Rimac. If the deal goes through, it would mark yet another chapter in one of the most intricate alliances in modern automotive history.

Bugatti and Rimac officially joined forces in 2021, creating a marriage between a century-old French luxury icon and a Croatian electric-hypercar disruptor. Back then, the ownership chart looked like a particularly messy pit board: Mate Rimac held 37 percent of the Rimac Group, Porsche owned 24 percent, Hyundai controlled 12 percent, and the remaining 27 percent was split among various other investors. Fast-forward to today, and the structure has been simplified—but only slightly. The Rimac Group now owns 55 percent of Bugatti Rimac, while Porsche retains the remaining 45 percent.

That 45 percent is now the prize.

Bloomberg reports that HOF Capital, co-founded by a member of the Sawiris dynasty, along with private equity firm BlueFive Capital, is negotiating to acquire Porsche’s stake. The transaction could value Bugatti Rimac north of €1 billion (about $1.2 billion), and HOF is also said to be considering an additional capital injection into the Rimac Group to fuel future expansion.

None of the parties involved—Porsche, HOF Capital, or BlueFive—have publicly commented on the report. Rimac, however, has acknowledged that discussions with Porsche are ongoing regarding the venture’s future ownership structure, emphasizing that no agreement has yet been reached. It remains unclear whether Mate Rimac himself is directly involved in the current bid, though he has previously expressed interest in partnering with investors to buy Porsche out.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Rimac has been unusually candid about the downsides of complex corporate arrangements. Earlier this year, he openly vented about the difficulty of running a company with too many stakeholders pulling in different directions.

“I just want to be able to make long-term decisions, to make long-term investments, and to do things in a different way, without having to explain to 50 people,” Rimac said. “When you negotiate with a corporation, there are so many factors. It’s families, it’s multiple families. It’s an emotional topic.”

For a company tasked with building multimillion-dollar hybrid hypercars and shaping Bugatti’s post–internal-combustion future, emotional topics may be unavoidable—but simplicity has its appeal. Whether this potential deal delivers that simplicity, or just rearranges the logos on the letterhead, remains to be seen.

One thing is certain: in the hypercar world, the fastest-moving parts aren’t always the cars.

Source: Bloomberg

Tuning

Gunther Werks Gemini Commission: Subtlety, Turned Up to 862 Horsepower

In the restomod world, subtlety is usually the first thing sacrificed on the altar of excess. Widebody kits shout, carbon fiber gleams like a mirror, and horsepower figures are wielded like blunt instruments. Gunther Werks’ latest creation—the Gemini Commission—takes a different approach. It’s proof that an 862-hp Porsche 911 can whisper instead of scream, even while bending the laws of physics in the process.

The Gemini is one of just 75 cars built under Gunther Werks’ Turbo program, which already puts it in rarefied air. But this particular commission pushes exclusivity further, layering bespoke design choices over an already obsessive reengineering of Porsche’s beloved 993-generation 911. Somewhere, a very fortunate owner is about to have the kind of New Year that makes the rest of us question our life choices.

Like every Gunther Werks build, the Gemini starts with the 993 chassis—the last of the air-cooled 911s and, to many purists, the last truly analog one. From there, the Turbo program adds a widened stance and serious aerodynamic upgrades. A vented hood relieves high-pressure air trapped beneath the car to reduce lift, while gills in the front and rear fenders improve cooling and stability. These aren’t styling flourishes; they’re functional necessities when you’re dealing with supercar-level performance wrapped in a ’90s silhouette.

For the Gemini, that aggression is cloaked in restraint. The body is finished in a muted gray selected from four possible hues, and it’s the kind of color that reveals itself slowly, changing character with light and angle. It’s not orange, red, or yellow—and that’s precisely the point. This car doesn’t demand attention; it earns it.

The wheels nod to the original 993 Turbo design but reinterpret it with modern precision and a striking white-gold finish. It’s a bold choice, yet somehow still elegant. Elsewhere, Gunther Werks adds subtle exterior touches, including a stealth-gray wrap on the CNC-machined mirror caps and door handles. The result is a cohesive palette of tones that feels considered rather than conspicuous.

Inside, the Gemini continues its balancing act between craftsmanship and performance. Carbon fiber dominates, as expected, appearing on the upper instrument panel, door panels, center console, and even the racing seat shells. But Gunther Werks knows when to soften the edges. Tangerine orange Italian leather appears in key areas, injecting warmth and contrast without overwhelming the cabin.

This is also the first Gunther Werks build to feature two distinct cockpit motifs. The driver’s seat is trimmed in luxurious Japanese denim with orange stitching and detailing—a material choice that sounds odd until you see how perfectly it works. The passenger seat, meanwhile, is upholstered in fine Italian leather, creating an asymmetry that feels deliberate rather than gimmicky. The center-mounted tachometer, ringed in orange just as Ferdinand Porsche intended, stands out against the other gauges, which wear gray-coated CNC-machined bezels matching the exterior accents.

Lift the rear hatch, and the Gemini stops being subtle altogether—at least mechanically. Nestled beneath is a 4.0-liter flat-six assembled by Rothsport Racing, and it’s mechanical art in the purest sense. Unlike the vertical cooling fan used in standard 911 Turbos, this engine employs a horizontal fan that pushes more air and cools all six cylinders more evenly. It’s a small detail with enormous implications for reliability and performance.

The rest of the engineering reads like a wish list for speed obsessives. Radiators ensure the turbochargers are fed a steady supply of cooled air, while side vents and a ram-air effect at speed sharpen throttle response. Individual throttle bodies on each cylinder add immediacy that modern turbo engines often lack. In normal driving mode, the engine produces a still-absurd 608 horsepower. Switch to Track mode, and that number jumps to 862 hp—enough to make the notion of “restomod” feel hilariously inadequate.

Gunther Werks isn’t revealing the price of the Gemini Commission, citing customer discretion. Fair enough. What we do know is that the Turbo program starts at $850,000, which tells you everything you need to know without saying anything at all.

The Gemini doesn’t exist to shock. It exists to demonstrate restraint at the extreme edge of performance—a rare quality in a world that often confuses loudness with greatness. And that may be its most impressive achievement of all.

Source: Gunther Werks