by Porsche’s New Boss Visited Audi
Porsche’s new CEO, Michael Leiters, met with Audi’s management just days after his appointment. This underscores the importance of the partnership between the two German automakers in the current climate.
Deepening Cooperation for Survival
Porsche and Audi plan to significantly deepen their technological and platform ties. This step is dictated not only by the desire to reduce costs but also by the need to ensure the long-term competitiveness of both brands. Automakers face a number of challenges: falling demand, tariff barriers, and mistakes in product strategy.
Porsche, in particular, is going through a difficult period after scaling back its electric ambitions and a sharp drop in sales in the key Chinese market.
Shared Platforms to Restore Margins
One of Porsche’s key goals is to return profitability to the level of up to 10%. To achieve this, the company is counting on more active use of Audi’s architectures. For example, the next generation of the Porsche Macan with internal combustion engines will be built on the same PPC platform as the future Audi Q5.
Audi is a key partner for us. We want to make much greater use of our shared potential.
Also in Porsche’s plans is a new large SUV (code name K1) based on the future Audi Q9.
Electric Audi TT and the Future Porsche 718
The future electric platform for the next generation of the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman also plays an important role for Audi. It will be the basis for the new generation of the Audi TT, which will become exclusively electric. The batteries will be placed behind the driver, which is intended to provide a low seating position and dynamics characteristic of mid-engine cars.
Past Disputes and Current Realities
Cooperation between Porsche and Audi has not always been smooth. For example, during the development of the shared PPE electric platform for the Macan Electric, A6 e-tron, and Q6 e-tron, there were serious internal rivalries and disputes over development leadership. The situation even required the intervention of Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume as a mediator. However, both brands now realize that such conflicts are an unaffordable luxury.
This rapprochement between the two German giants is taking place against the backdrop of fundamental changes in the entire automotive world. The transition to electric vehicles has proven more difficult and expensive than expected, forcing even premium brands to seek synergy. In fact, this is a return to the logic of large automotive groups, where shared platforms have always been the key to economic efficiency. However, unlike in the past, it is now not just about saving money, but about the strategic necessity of preserving technological leadership and the uniqueness of each brand in the face of fierce competition from new players, especially from China. The success of this alliance will depend on whether Porsche and Audi engineers can find a balance between unification and the unique characteristics that customers love their cars for.
