PORSCHE EMBRACES THE ELECTRON WASTELAND: IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED.

Editor's Note: This week, Peter details Porsche's all-out push into electrification, which will thrust the brand into soulless appliance territory and serve as an existential threat to Porsche's very existence. In "On The Table," we preview Toyota's expanded GR Corolla lineup for model year 2025. And our AE Song of the Week is "Lonely Boy" by Andrew Gold. In "Fumes," we have the sixth installment of Peter's popular series, "The Racing Machines." And in "The Line," we'll have results from the Indonesian MotoGP, as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's release about the passing of Rocky Moran. Onward. -WG



By Peter M. DeLorenzo

 

Detroit. As you read this, a harsh reality is settling in for “traditional” Porsche enthusiasts, at least the ones still hanging on to what the brand once was. Yes, they withstood the transition to Porsche becoming predominantly an SUV brand, after being an exclusive maker of sports cars for decades, because the company still managed to keep its high-performance machines fresh and engaging.

 

As longtime readers may remember, I predicted the brand’s demise when it made its own “grand transition” to SUVs, but I, of course, was proven to be dead wrong. As SUVs became Porsche’s raison d’etre, the company’s profits exploded exponentially, and the company used those profits to keep nurturing endless variations of high-performance 911 and 718 sports cars, while it proudly – and arrogantly – proclaimed itself to be “the most profitable car company in the world.” (Conveniently ignoring, of course, that Juggernaut over in Maranello, which was even more profitable.) Porsche did return to the top level of international sports car racing, thanks to its newfound profitability – after squandering years on developing its trucks – winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans multiple times, which is commendable.

 

But today, Porsche has reached a new crossroads, and it’s not just a fork in the road. It is, in fact, an existential threat to the brand itself. The next 30 months will determine the long-term future of Porsche, and at this writing, absolutely nothing is guaranteed.

 

Why? The Porsche product rollout over the next few years will be heavy into electrification. Let me say that in a different way: Porsche’s product lineup will almost be unrecognizable. Porsche is about to debut the all-electric Macan here in the U.S. market (while still keeping the ICE Macan around at least for a while). Don’t forget, the Macan is Porsche’s highest-volume model here, so this is huge deal. The Taycan EV will be joined eventually by a Panamera EV. And electric versions of the 718 sports cars and the Cayenne will soon follow. And in late spring of 2025, the first Hybrid 911 rolls into U.S. dealerships. (Porsche operatives wisely declined to go full EV on its iconic sports car, which gives me a shred of hope for the brand. I will emphasize, just a shred.)

 

But while chronicling Porsche’s EV push, a doomsday scenario is rapidly emerging: Porsche is planning a “flagship” super SUV EV aimed at such lumbering, heavyweight SUV stalwarts as the BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS and other giant entries in that class. Porsche operatives insist – with their arrogance fully intact and energized – that their entry will indeed be very special and be the sportiest offering in the class. I can wait.

 

Yes, as I said before, I was wrong about Porsche’s embracing of the SUV thing, because it has become a truck company that also intermittently sells some sports cars, and the move allowed the company to print money hand-over-fist. But this is where Porsche’s grand EV plan goes well and truly off of the rails for me: The company’s move to an electron-dominated portfolio moves the brand into soulless appliance territory. And that's fundamentally different from just offering a bunch of trucks.

 

As I’ve said repeatedly, I can’t get excited about the Taycan, because it does absolutely nothing for me, much to the chagrin of blind Porsche loyalists who insist it’s the best Porsche ever. Hardly. Not even close, in fact. I can feel the heft – by far my biggest criticism of EVs in general – even though Porsche engineers did their very best to disguise it. And the artificially-generated sound that can be engaged is a deal breaker. This is the case for all EVs for me. Some people consider EV motoring to be a revelation, that it’s The Future, blah, blah, blah. But “driving by rheostat” is about the furthest thing from actually driving for me.

 

It’s good that Porsche operatives are hedging their bets by keeping the 911 as a hybrid-assisted machine, because if and when they go full EV with the brand’s iconic sports car, the raison d’etre for Porsche will cease to exist, other than as a glorified branding exercise. (And the fact that Porsche is taking its most fun sports car – the 718 – down the EV path is not only disturbing, it’s brand-disqualifying for me.)

 

Hand-wringing about Porsche becoming a truck company is not a value-added activity at this juncture; that ship, of course, sailed years ago. But seeing the company go down the EV path – thanks to misguided politicians and cowering executives talking themselves into believing it’s The Right Thing to Do – is downright depressing.

 

No matter how the company packages its EVs, there’s just no getting around the fact that as the brand launches soulless appliance after soulless appliance into the market, the reason to consider Porsche in the vast sea of other EV-dominated brands becomes less and less viable. As in where’s the visceral thrill? And why and what for when the average entry price for a Porsche is zooming well past $100,000?

 

I owned, rather bought and sold – albeit very briefly in most cases – several of the “good” 911s from the past, including a ’74, ’75, ’80, ’85, ’87 Turbo, ’93 RS America and others. I also really enjoyed a Boxster and a Cayman too. I drove the hell out of each and every one, and accumulated countless memories and savored those fleeting moments in time when the sound and the speed and the feel were all consuming and flat-out wonderful.

 

But, going forward it’s clear that will have absolutely nothing to do with the “new” Porsche (other than the lingering Hybrid 911, of course). I predict that Porsche’s move into the Electron Wasteland will prove to be the brand’s undoing.

 

It was fun while it lasted.*

 

And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.

*Speaking of it was fun while it lasted: No sooner did I finish this column than the news emerged that Ferrari is preparing to enter the EV fray with a global intro in 2025, and with a debut in the U.S. market slated for 2026. The machine will cost well over $500,000, according to AutoForecast Solutions, Automotive News and various reports. Unlike Porsche, however, Ferrari wisely isn't going to offer a range of EVs. It is going to offer one EV model and retain its magnificent ICE-powered machines – with Hybrid assist – going forward. Ferrari, more than any other automaker, is known for its engines and their distinctive sound. Ferrari operatives know that going full EV would be the death knell for the brand. Let's hope they retain that clear-eyed view of the most hallowed brand in the automotive world. -PMD




Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG