Is this Porsche’s new junior 4×4? These fresh spyshots from the Nurburgring are believed to be the new mid-sized SUV codenamed Roxster under development at Weissach. Although based on the running gear of the Audi Q5, it will get its own sheetmetal and glasshouse, plus a distinct engine range.
This test car certainly looks sufficiently different from a Cayenne – and its proportions are intriguingly close to those of the new Q5 recently unveiled at the Beijing auto show.
We’ve pictured the Q5 here (blue car, bottom row); we’ve flipped it so it’s facing the same way as the Porsche prototype, which explains why the fuel filler flap is on the wrong side.
Official Porsche comment
The startled spokesman we contacted refused to confirm or deny the identity of the car in our photos. ‘It’s our policy not to comment on speculative spy photos,’ he said. ‘Porsche Engineering do a lot of work for third parties – it could even be an Audi Q5 on test.’
When pushed, he refused to rule out further new products after the Panamera. But in this game you get a sense for the news value of scoop photos, and the balance of opinion at CAR is that these photos are of a Porsche variant being tested. We’re continuing to pump our sources at Porsche to piece together the jigsaw. Click ‘Next’ to read more about the Roxster.
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Porsche Roxster – just an Audi in disguise?
Apparently not. Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking has craftily shared development costs of the Cayenne with VW on the Touareg, and he now aims to repeat this business model with the Roxster/Q5. However, this time round, he is demanding further differentiation, according to engineers CAR spoke to.
So while the Audi Q5 will have a choice of four- and six-cylinder engines, the Porsche mid-sized SUV will have the VR6 and, eventually, the company’s low-end V8.
A 4×4 with 400bhp? Not really in keeping with the times!
Nope, but this is a Porsche, remember. To position it away from the Q5, the Roxster will develop between 300bhp and 400bhp. And – as a sop to the eco brigade – Weissach engineers are even studying the feasibility of a diesel engine; it deemed too far from the Porsche brand, a hybrid version is also being investigated.
Don’t forget this isn’t the first time CAR has written about the Roxster. We first revealed the project back in August 2007 issue of CAR Magazine.
Come back to CAR Online in the next 24 hours as we continue to investigate the Roxster story
Do you know any details about the Roxster? If so, add your information to the story by clicking ‘Add your comment’
