o.k een leuke gedachtengang
Geplaatst: za 03 dec, 2005 22:10
% chance of becoming a reality - if that. But what a pleasant dream.
It's been reported that Porsche have started the ball rolling on looking for a suitable acquisition to make. They've shored up their own supply line by taking a stake in Volkswagen, but are now possibly on the prowl for a company they can really sink their teeth into.
On the other side of the Atlantic, GM are facing a crisis. Burdened with crippling on-costs and a lack of brand identity, they need to tidy up shop in a big way, especially in their home market - the United States - where they're bleeding market share like a haemophiliac. GM are looking for cash to bolster their already well-padded reserves and Saab, a light seller in the US, is costing them money (still).
So why not offload Saab to Porsche?
Both companies have a motor sports heritage to draw on. Both companies have been involved with turbocharged passenger cars for around 30 years. Both companies have persistently gone their own way, against convention, but in what they see to be the right direction for very good reasons. Saab has an unparalleled reputation for safety and Porsche an extremely high standard for quality.
Saab would benefit more than Porsche from the relationship at first, but every Saab sold would be a bonus for Porsche - a sale in a market they don't currently enter, the sports sedan market. Shared engineering between Trollhattan and Stuttgart (if that's where Porsche develop - excuse my ignorance) could bring new models to the table for both marques and with Saab's house now in order, combined with the extra cache brought by the relationship with Porsche, profitability would be forthcoming in the short to medium term.
Imagine a model path leading from an entry level Saab through the sedan ranks and then into Porsche sports cars, where the driving characteristics are shared but the vehicle attributes are different. Saab - the Porsche for the family.
Need I even mention that both marques have a penchant for the number '9' in their nomenclature?
Or the Michael Mauer factor - once at Saab, now at Porsche. He could finish the work he started before the rug was pulled out from under his feet.
There is so much that could be synergised with this relationship. I really hope someone at Porsche is reading this........
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OK, back to reality. When's that strike going to be on?
It's been reported that Porsche have started the ball rolling on looking for a suitable acquisition to make. They've shored up their own supply line by taking a stake in Volkswagen, but are now possibly on the prowl for a company they can really sink their teeth into.
On the other side of the Atlantic, GM are facing a crisis. Burdened with crippling on-costs and a lack of brand identity, they need to tidy up shop in a big way, especially in their home market - the United States - where they're bleeding market share like a haemophiliac. GM are looking for cash to bolster their already well-padded reserves and Saab, a light seller in the US, is costing them money (still).
So why not offload Saab to Porsche?
Both companies have a motor sports heritage to draw on. Both companies have been involved with turbocharged passenger cars for around 30 years. Both companies have persistently gone their own way, against convention, but in what they see to be the right direction for very good reasons. Saab has an unparalleled reputation for safety and Porsche an extremely high standard for quality.
Saab would benefit more than Porsche from the relationship at first, but every Saab sold would be a bonus for Porsche - a sale in a market they don't currently enter, the sports sedan market. Shared engineering between Trollhattan and Stuttgart (if that's where Porsche develop - excuse my ignorance) could bring new models to the table for both marques and with Saab's house now in order, combined with the extra cache brought by the relationship with Porsche, profitability would be forthcoming in the short to medium term.
Imagine a model path leading from an entry level Saab through the sedan ranks and then into Porsche sports cars, where the driving characteristics are shared but the vehicle attributes are different. Saab - the Porsche for the family.
Need I even mention that both marques have a penchant for the number '9' in their nomenclature?
Or the Michael Mauer factor - once at Saab, now at Porsche. He could finish the work he started before the rug was pulled out from under his feet.
There is so much that could be synergised with this relationship. I really hope someone at Porsche is reading this........
----------------------------------------
OK, back to reality. When's that strike going to be on?
want dan hebben we de 911, 933 en 955! 
