So Porsche has finally done what it always said it would not do and is going to put a diesel engine into one of its production cars.
But for those of you who think a diesel is about as appropriate a power source for a Porsche as a steam engine for an F1 car, it requires nothing like the mental leap we all had to make when Porsche abandoned half a century of building lightweight two door sportscars and produced a two tonne, five door, cod off-road leviathan called the Cayenne.
And history recalls the buying public in general and the Americans in particular took to the Cayenne in their hundreds of thousands. Truth is the Cayenne owes nothing at all to traditional Porsche values and if putting a diesel in one will make it more frugal, give it a better range while still performing approximately as well as the already hardly electrifying standard Cayenne, then who cares? 
Not me. It's when they conclude its a good motive source for a Cayman or a 911 - otherwise known as proper Porsches with proper Porsche values - that we should start to be really concerned.
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Hirsch Performance
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
Will the 911 diesel ever happen.................... I hope not.
theoriginalshoe
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
Sorry Andrew, I disagree. I believe that, the way things are going, Porsche would be foolish not to plan diesels for their models. And knowing Porsche, would they not be the best in the business...?
www.eco-trainer.net
phenergn
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
In fairness to Mr Frankell this really wasn't an anti-cayenne post. He even implies that while a diesel cayenne owes nothing at all to traditional Porsche values, who cares as long as it appeals to customers & doesn't lead to a diesel 911.
I'm not sure that the Cayenne is as capable off road as a Toureg. The Toureg comes with a low-ratio gearbox, auto-locking centre differential, hill start assist & hill descent control, plus optional front and rear lockable differentials. The Cayenne only comes with a low ratio box and a locking rear diff, plus much less axle articulation. Surely even porsche woulnd't argue that it was desgined for serious off-road work.
FlashBastd
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
Aside from being generally a bit bored with the general anti-SUV sentiment recently displayed in Autocar, I take exception to referring to the Cayenne as a "cod off-road" vehicle. It seems to me that you are suggesting that it is little more than a soft roader, when I seem to recall from launch that a Cayenne or Toureg with the right tyres is pretty much as capable as a similarly equipped Range Rover - now whether or not any owner will actually use it off road is entirely down to them, and they will pay the price in less than sports-car like dynamics and a hefty fuel bill.
You also fail to comment on the fact that the success of the Cayenne Porsche would be in a much weaker position than it is today, and probably wouldn't be able to field as many versions of their excellent sports cars as they do today.
phenergn
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
You could argue that the R8 TDI is a reason NOT to build a diesel 911.
Since Porsche are likely to own VW pretty soon the R8 means they will already be building a diesel supercar. So there will be less need for another one.
slackboy
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
Heres a slightly more well-reasoned argument in favour: Audi R8 TDI
julianphillips
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
There's a niche in the market for a premium badged, high performance LCV-based mini-MPV - I'm talking about a Porsche Kangoo.
NiallOswald
re: Why the diesel 911 will never happen
Title "Why the diesel 911 will never happen" - where's the 'why' in the article beyond "because I think it won't"?
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