Porsche to share platforms but not boxer

Porsche's global chief Oliver Blume is keen to implement more component sharing between the German sportscar-maker and other Volkswagen Group brands, but says that the company's iconic boxer engines won't power cars from sister brands like Audi, Skoda and Seat. For now, at least…

Blume, who was appointed to the top Porsche job in October 2015, told motoring.com.au that sharing platform modules between VW Group brands was key to reducing development costs, but that some "typical" Porsche components would remain unique to the brand for the foreseeable future.

It's been widely reported that Porsche's next-generation 911 will share much of its platform with the next-generation Audi R8 in much the same way the 911 shares its frontal module with the smaller mid-engined Cayman and Boxster twins.

The first modern Porsche to share its platform with a VW was the Cayenne, which continues to be closely related to the VW Touareg and Audi Q7. Similarly, while the Porsche Macan shares the original Audi Q5's MLB platform and its replacement will ride on the new Q5's MLB Evo underpinnings, the Porsche-designed MSB platform underpins both the new Panamera and next-generation Bentley Continental.

Blume said platform sharing could extend to the new 911 as long as customers can't feel or see the similarities between common components, but he stressed that decision had not yet been made.

"In the first step we think more about activities in between Cayenne and Audi Q7, for example, or think about collaboration in between the Macan and the Q5," Blume said.

"What we will do in the other ranges isn't decided yet, but [what's] important is to start and to make the share of [component] modules – which company will take care of which module -- and we have a lot of advantages to do that.

"[What's] Important is everything that the customer doesn't feel, doesn't see, you can do a very good collaboration… But all the rest – what the customer can see – must be developed, designed, engineered by the brand."

Nor did Blume rule out completely the common component strategy -- which reduces purchasing, development and manufacturing costs – extending to Porsche's famed flat six-cylinder (and now four-cylinder) engines.

"We have for example the diesel engines come from Audi, but the V8 turbo engine is engineered and produced for all brands by Porsche, so we have a share in between of the technologies and the brands of the Volkswagen Group.

"[But] The boxer engine will remain a Porsche feature -- engineered and manufactured by Porsche."

When pressed on whether boxer engines could be used by other VW Group brands, Blume said: "At this moment not.

"What will come in the future we will see, but it's so typical for Porsche, it's so typical for 911 and 718 and it's unique technology.

"We look at which technology makes sense in which car portfolio and then we take the decision. It's more of an advantage and opportunity to work together very close with the other brands like Audi, sharing technologies, because there's bigger volume and you spend engineering cost only one time."