Boxster Cayman Switch Production Facilities

[daro911]

2012 porsche cayman test mule spy shots june 06Enlarge Photo

2012 Porsche Boxster spy shotsEnlarge Photo

2012 Porsche Boxster spy shotsEnlarge Photo
It's not widely known amongst the general public, but Porsche frequently contracts out its actual production. Many of the small manufacturer's sports cars are not built by Porsche at all, but by manufacturing firms such as Valmet, which is also contracted to build the Fisker Karma.

The next-gen Porsche Boxster and Cayman are to be no different. Currently, Magna has the contract, but Porsche is thought to be considering a switch to Karmann for the next-generation models.

The move would entail switching from Austria, where the current Magna facility lies, to Germany. The underlying impetus for the switch is believed to be a desire to more closely protect the trade secrets in Porsche's engineering of the next-generation Boxster and Cayman, due around 2011 or 2012. Secrecy fears are driven primarily by Magna's own moves to secure the purchase of Opel from General Motors, making itself a player not just in manufacturing, but in design and engineering as well.

That move has had many carmakers rethinking their partnerships with Magna.

That's a door that Porsche would rather see stay closed, as disclosing engineering or trade secrets to a competitor might actually negate any claim Porsche might later have should Magna "borrow" the information for its own use.

The Boxster and Cayman have previously been built in Finland by Valmet, but recently Porsche has switched back to in-house production.

Not much is known yet about the next-gen Porsche Boxster and Cayman, but recent spy shots have shown both cars testing in Germany. Hints at a high-performance RS model as well as a possible turbocharged four-cylinder have been caught as well, though again, nothing is certain with two to three years before the final car is due.

Woven throughout the whole issue, including the contract manufacturing tussle, is the possibility of a production Volkswagen roadster, similar to the Bluesport Concept, slotting below the Boxster and Cayman.
[Auto Week]

 

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PORSCHE WANTS OUT OF MAGNA CONTRACT

Opel purchase may cost Magna a deal to build Boxster and Cayman - but it could be Karmann's lifeline


Boxster could move from Magna to Karmann Porsche is looking to pull out of a contract with Magna to build the next-generation Boxster and Cayman in the wake of the Canadian firm's purchase of Opel from General Motors.
The Boxster and Cayman had been earmarked for production at Magna's Austrian plant in Graz from 2013, but VW's takeover of Porsche and Magna's control over Opel now means plenty of potential for conflicts of interest - and VW understandably wants to keep Porsche production and development costs secret.

Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn has also hinted that a Magna-controlled Opel could force VW to end its partnerships with Magna.



Karmann could also make VW's new roadster Although the loss of Porsche contracts would be a major blow to Magna's finances, it could mean a lifeline for historic coachbuilder Karmann, which could get the nod to build the new Cayman and Boxster.
Porsche currently builds its entry-level pairing at its own Zuffenhausen facility, but some Boxster production has occasionally been outsourced to Valmet in Finland.

If Karmann does win the Boxster contract, it could literally save the Osnabruck firm, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection. VW also has close historical ties with Karmann too, and it's a strong possibility that the forthcoming VW BlueSport roadster could be built by them, too.