Porsche compact coupe decision soon

The full weight of Porsche's marketing machine will be heaped into the November reveal of its all-new Macan compact SUV, which will take place at two motor shows simultaneously either side of the Pacific.

But behind closed doors another important decision will be made within the next few months -- whether or not to build a more affordable sports car.

The future of the pint-size Porsche sports car, which would be about the size of a Toyota 86 and likely to be powered by the company's upcoming 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol boxer engine, will be made by the end of this year or in early 2014, Porsche President and CEO Matthias Mueller told motoring.com.au in Frankfurt.

In June 2013, the Porsche boss revealed that his company was working on a four-cylinder boxer engine destined for the next-generation Cayman and Boxster, and it will almost certainly power Porsche's new baby coupe if it gets the green light.

So what exactly is standing in the way of what would become Porsche's best-selling coupe? There's no problem designing and engineering it -- rather it's a matter of brand equity more than anything else, says Mueller.

"It's difficult because we have to take care of the brand, you know, and this is very sensitive. So we have to start making these decisions during the next month maybe," he said.

Porsche has already stated its aim to increase sales under Volkswagen ownership to 200,000 vehicles per annum by 2018 – up from about 143,000 last year.

The Macan will be launched in Europe early next year (June 2014 in Australia) and is expected to generate at least 50,000 annual sales, which should easily guarantee Porsche reaches its sales target ahead of schedule.

A smaller sports car than the mid-engined Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe would clearly boost Porsche sales further, but would not be as profitable and could dilute Zuffenhausen’s reputation as a producer of high-end sports cars – and therefore its ability to charge a premium for models like the Macan.

A similar debate surrounded Porsche’s first SUV, the Cayenne, which now accounts for more than half of all Porsches sold and effectively bankrolled the development of the car-maker’s sports cars in the following years.

What do you think about a Porsche developing a compact sports coupe -- will it hinder or help the brand?

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