Porsche: No Plan to Add Lower-Cost Sports Car

CEO Matthias Mueller says Porsche AG has dropped plans to develop a relatively inexpensive sports car for its lineup.

More than a year ago Muller floated the idea to Automotive News Europe of an entry-level sports car inspired by Porsche's 550 model in the 1950s. At the time, he said the car could debut as early as 2014.

But Muller told Wirtschaftswoche in January that such a car might dilute Porsche's exclusive image. He cited the same concern to the Stuttgarter Zeitung on Saturday in declaring that Porsche has dropped the project.

Muller confirms Porsche's interest in adding a small sedan to its lineup in about five years. Last week Auto Bild said the company would add such a car, code named Pajun, by about 2017.

Separately, European media have posted spy photos of Porsche's Macan small crossover vehicle, which is due next year. The Macan, which had been code named Cajun, will become the fifth model in Porsche's lineup. The new model will share its platform with the Audi Q5 crossover.