Audi and Porsche: A 2025 to Forget
After successive years of cashing in profits, Audi and Porsche had a bloodbath in 2025. For Audi, it had a particularly rough time in the U.S., with sales dipping even below pandemic levels. For Porsche, profits plummeted by a whopping 90% from €5.64 billion to a middling €413 million.
The reason? On one hand, there’s the cooling demand for EVs, and the two brands banked heavily on electric models. There are also a couple of cancelled projects, delayed plans, and other ventures that will never recoup the initial investment. Sales are also down, and China is an ever-looming threat. The next couple of years won’t be easy, but the two are going all out to turn the tide.
Closing the Ranks
In a report by Automotive News, Audi and Porsche will pursue greater cooperation in a bid to cut costs. It’s said that Porsche CEO Michael Leiters paid Audi CEO Gernot Döllner a visit in Ingolstadt to discuss the matter. This is a huge step for both, as the two have historically worked independently of each other despite using common platforms and being under the wing of the Volkswagen Auto Group.
Speaking to the publication, Leiters said, “Audi is a key partner for us. We want to leverage shared potential even more.” Given the way things are going, this move isn’t just about consolidation and cost reduction; it’s about the long-term survival of both automakers. Of course, it will be interesting to see how this cooperation goes, but the two will have to get along nicely for both their sakes.
Simplify and Cooperate
Automotive News mentioned that platform sharing within Audi and Porsche has led to tension over the years. The publication said that the development of the Premium Platform Electric architecture “required repeated intervention from [Oliver] Blume to resolve conflicts.” Blume is the CEO of the Volkswagen Auto Group.
But with finances in need of a boost, cooperation is of utmost importance. Porsche will rely on Audi to help it bring back more ICE models, while keeping the current crop of gas-powered models sold alongside the new EVs. Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion architecture will also lend itself to the next-generation Macan (non-EV), and the upcoming Q9 will also serve as the basis of a three-row Porsche crossover.
Audi will be using the platform for the delayed Cayman and Boxster EV models. It will be for the production version of the Coupe C Concept that was shown in Germany late last year. There are also rumors of the Panamera and Taycan being built on a single platform, and it’s possible that Audi could use that in one form or another down the line.
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