Porsche has made no secret of its recent financial struggles, and a new report suggests it might look to consolidate two of its less successful models to help its future.
UK magazine Autocar reports the next-generation Porsche Panamera and Taycan could be merged into becoming one singular model, despite potentially still offering a clear difference between petrol and electric variants.
According to the report, doing so and using more common parts between petrol and EV versions – even if they are on different platforms – will help to further save money and make the vehicle more profitable.
While Autocar did not detail how such a plan would be actioned as it’s understood to be under consideration by Porsche CEO Micheal Leiters, it suggested the model could simply use shared panels and equipment across two different platforms.
The next-generation Porsche Panamera is due to be replaced before 2030 with a new iteration running on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, a derivative of which underpins the current Audi A6.
Likewise, the new Taycan is expected to be running on the Scalable Systems Platform Sport (SSP Sport) architecture, which has experienced development delays and isn’t due to launch until 2029 at the earliest.
Autocar reports insiders have said the two platforms will need to be compatible with the ultimate goal of supporting one common model with a large number of shared parts.
The potential merging of the Panamera and Taycan model lines comes after massive changes in Porsche’s future product plans last year, announcing it would continue to produce ICE and PHEV versions of the Panamera and Cayenne “well into the 2030s”, with “generations of successor models […] added to the Cycle Plan for these vehicle models”.
At the time, news agency Reuters reported Porsche’s EV U-turn will cost its Volkswagen Group parent €5.1 billion ($9.1 billion), while the Stuttgart brand projects its operating profit will drop by €1.8 billion ($3.2 billion) in the 2025 financial year.
Reports have also circulated that the 718 twins (better known as the Cayman and Boxster) will ditch their upcoming EV-only underpinnings and offer petrol power across the range.
A Macan-sized SUV with a petrol engine is also set to launch in the coming years following lower than expected demand for the current EV version.
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