Porsche and Ferrari have been nemesis for decades, but the Italian brand has long had the upper hand in terms of exclusivity. But a new report suggests that Porsche wants in on Ferrari’s ultra-desirable clientele.
Most Porsche dealers keep a reasonable inventory of brand new sports cars, aside from a handful of range-topping supercars. At Ferrari outlets, however, the aura is more like that of a members-only club. To buy a new Ferrari requires ownership of at least a few pre-owned models, and even then not everyone gains admission.
Porsche’s CEO admits that the company is lacking something in the range above its top-end 911s and below its upcoming 918 supercar – in other words, the territory currently occupied by such exotics as Ferrari and Lamborghini.
“It always irritated me that the 911 tops out at 250,000 euros [$360,000] and then the 918 continues starting at 750,000 euros,” Matthias Mueller said in an interview with Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
“In between, Ferrari moseys around relatively comfortably and without any competition. That is where we need to be. There is still space for a larger sports car, one like the 959 that we built in the 1980s.”
Porsche is already working on a revival of its mid-engined 550 Spyder, as well as a sub-Cayenne SUV tentatively called Cajun, but it has yet to move forward any project to bridge the gap between 911 and 918.
Unlike Porsche, Ferrari doesn’t compete below $200,000, however, which could suggest that Porsche is trying to stretch its lineup too thin in an effort to chase additional segments.
References
1.’Porsche to target…’ view
