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100-563: The B8 and B9 versions of the A4 are built on the Volkswagen Group MLB platform shared with several models and brands across the Volkswagen Group. The Audi A4 automobile layout consists of a front-engine design , with transaxle -type transmissions mounted at the rear of the engine. The cars are front-wheel drive , or on some models, " quattro " all-wheel drive . The A4 is available as

200-432: A Zuffenhausen -based company, Reutter Karosserie, which had previously collaborated with the firm on Volkswagen Beetle prototypes, to produce the 356's steel body. In 1952, Porsche constructed an assembly plant (Werk 2) across the street from Reutter Karosserie; the main road in front of Werk 1, the oldest Porsche building, is now known as Porschestrasse. The 356 was road-certified in 1948. Porsche's company logo stems from

300-559: A sedan and station wagon . Historically, the second (B6) and third generations (B7) of the A4 also included a convertible version. For the B8 and B9 versions, the convertible , along with a new coupé and 5-door liftback variant, was spun-off by Audi into a new nameplate called the Audi A5 . The B9 generation A4 and A5 will be replaced by B10 version of A5, as part of Audi's new naming convention. The first generation Audi A4 (known internally as

400-848: A 10% minority shareholding stake of the Croatian electric sportscar manufacturer Rimac Automobili to form a development partnership. In February 2022, Volkswagen AG had announced that it would examine the feasibility of a possible IPO of Porsche AG. The share capital of Porsche AG has been divided into 50% non-voting preference shares and 50% ordinary shares. Volkswagen AG will retain 75% of ordinary shares, while Porsche SE will acquire 25% of ordinary shares. Volkswagen AG will also retain 75% of preference shares, while 25% of preference shares (12.5% of share capital) will be sold during IPO, while Qatar Investment Authority has already committed to buy 4.99% of preference shares, leaving another 20.01% (10% of share capital), to other investors. As part of

500-589: A 100% subsidiary of VW AG, is responsible for the actual production and manufacture of the Porsche automobile line. The company currently produces Porsche 911 , Boxster and Cayman sports cars, the Cayenne and Macan sport utility vehicles and the four-door Panamera . Porsche AG has a 29% share in German engineering and design consultancy Bertrandt AG and 81.8% of Mieschke Hofmann und Partner . In 2018, Porsche acquired

600-557: A 2.0 TFSI with 132 kW (177 hp) and the 3.2 FSI with 195 kW (261 hp). The A4-based convertible models were replaced by the A5/S5 Cabriolet. The B8 powertrain options are the following: engines, transmissions and drivelines: (All United Kingdom specification unless stated otherwise). (for South Africa specification). (for Australia specification). (for New Zealand specification). Volkswagen Group MLB platform The Volkswagen Group MLB platform

700-415: A 3.0 V6 TDI, offering a 204 PS (150 kW; 201 bhp) model during the year 2005 which was upgraded to a 233 PS (171 kW; 230 bhp) model in 2006. A 2.7 V6 TDI was added later. Torsen T-2 based quattro permanent four-wheel drive remained as an option on most A4 models. Audi retained the 5 speed manual transmission with the 1.9 TDI and 2.0 non turbo petrol engines while introducing

800-557: A 90 PS (66 kW; 89 bhp) or 110 PS (81 kW; 108 bhp). The 2.6 and 2.8-litre V6 engines which had been carried over from the old 80/90 proved popular, although in North America, the 2.8-litre engine was the only V6 that was available there until 1997. A 2.4-liter version was developed especially for the Thai market, where import duty jumped from 60 to 100 percent on cars of over 2,400 cc displacement. The Audi A4

900-445: A common engine-mounting core for all drivetrains (e.g., gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hybrid and purely electric). The only things that are non-variable are the pedal box, firewall, and front wheel placement, as well as the windscreen angle; other than this, the vehicle can be stretched and shaped to fit any body style, size range, or drivetrain required. As well as reducing weight, the concept allows diverse models, including those from

1000-579: A distinctive radiator grille, stainless steel underbody guards and roof rails. The A4 allroad quattro was made available in early summer 2009. The car was unveiled in 2009 Geneva Motor Show . The A4L is a long-wheelbase version of the sedan/saloon for the Chinese market, with a 60 mm (2.4 in) longer wheelbase and length. The vehicle was presented at the 2008 Guangzhou Motor Show. The production version then went on sale in January 2009. Launch models included

1100-450: A four-valve per cylinder configuration. The prior 5-valve design was incompatible with the FSI direct injection system (due to the siting of the fuel injector, now discharging directly into the combustion chamber). The 2.0 Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engine now combined Pumpe Düse (Unit Injector) (PD) technology with 16 valves, while the larger 2.5 TDI V6 diesel was superseded by

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1200-834: A holding company for the families' stake in Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH (50.1%) (which in turn held 100% of the old Porsche AG) and Volkswagen AG (50.7%). At the same time, the new Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG ( Porsche AG ) was created for the car manufacturing business. In August 2009, Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG reached an agreement that the car manufacturing operations of the two companies would merge in 2011, to form an "Integrated Automotive Group". The management of Volkswagen AG agreed to 50.76% of Volkswagen AG being owned by Porsche SE in return for Volkswagen AG management taking Porsche SE management positions (in order for Volkswagen management to remain in control), and for Volkswagen AG acquiring ownership of Porsche AG. As of

1300-689: A hybrid system. Also a plug-in hybrid model called the Panamera S E-Hybrid was released in October 2013 in the United States and during the fourth quarter of 2013 in several European countries. Porsche developed a prototype electric Porsche Boxster called the Boxster E in 2011 and a hybrid version of the 911 called the GT3 R Hybrid, developed with Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 2010. In July 2014, Porsche announced

1400-466: A longtime Porsche employee, was appointed as interim CEO. Branitzki served in that position until Wendelin Wiedeking became CEO in 1993. Wiedeking took over the chairmanship of the board at a time when Porsche appeared vulnerable to a takeover by a larger company. During his long tenure, Wiedeking transformed Porsche into a very efficient and profitable company. Ferdinand Porsche's nephew, Ferdinand Piëch,

1500-489: A new platform designation, the B7 was essentially a heavily facelifted and revised version of the B6, with revised steering settings, suspension geometry, new internal combustion engine ranges, navigation systems and chassis electronics (including a new advanced Bosch ESP 8.0 Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system). The front grille assembly changed to a tall trapezoidal shape in

1600-537: A power increase of 20 PS, giving an output of 220 PS on the 2.0T model. According to 2007 Swedish vehicle inspection data, the Audi A4 Avant with diesel engine is the most reliable vehicle available on the market, with vehicle inspection rejection rate of 0.0% in three-year-old category. When the successor B8 A4 range was introduced, the B7 series A4 was restyled and rebadged as the SEAT Exeo in 2008 with changes to

1700-472: A power increase to 165 PS (121 kW; 163 bhp). Audi also debuted their new tiptronic automatic transmission on the B5 platform, based on the unit Porsche developed for their 964 -generation 911 . The transmission is a conventional automatic gearbox with a torque converter offering the driver a fully-automatic operation or manual selection of the gear ratios. The B5 marked Audi's continued move into

1800-505: A significant facelift was introduced for the 1998 B5 model year at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show , with sales beginning in Europe in early 1998. The 2.8-litre 30-valve V6 engine replaced the 2.8-litre 12-valve. A 2.5-litre V6 Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel engine with 150 PS (110 kW; 148 bhp) was standard on the Quattro. A six-speed manual gearbox was available, as well as

1900-513: A six-cylinder "boxer" engine . The team to lay out the body shell design was led by Ferry Porsche's eldest son, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (F. A.). The design phase for the 911 caused internal problems with Erwin Komenda, who led the body design department until then. F. A. Porsche complained Komenda made unauthorized changes to the design. Company leader Ferry Porsche took his son's drawings to neighbouring chassis manufacturer Reuter. Reuter's workshop

2000-427: A total of 218,983 cars, 28,953 (13.22%) as domestic German sales, and 190,030 (86.78%) internationally. The company has been highly successful in recent times, and indeed claims to have the highest profit per unit sold of any car company in the world. Table of profits (in millions of euros) and number of cars produced. Figures from 2008/9 onwards were not reported as part of Porsche SE. On 11 May 2017, Porsche built

2100-618: A vehicle for the masses, which later became the Volkswagen Beetle . After World War II , when Ferdinand, a member of both the Nazi Party and the SS , would be arrested for war crimes , his son Ferry Porsche , an SS volunteer, began building his own car, which would result in the Porsche 356 . In 2009, Porsche entered an agreement with Volkswagen to create an 'integrated working group' by merging

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2200-594: A vehicle. The Porsche Passport service was available initially in Atlanta , and has become available in many major cities across the US. During the COVID-19 pandemic , in March 2020, Porsche suspended its manufacturing in Europe for two weeks, "By taking this step, the sports car manufacturer is responding to the significant acceleration in the rate of infection caused by the coronavirus and

2300-451: Is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars , SUVs and sedans , headquartered in Stuttgart , Baden-Württemberg , Germany. The company is owned by Volkswagen AG , a controlling stake of which is owned by Porsche Automobil Holding SE . Porsche's current lineup includes the 718 , 911 , Panamera , Macan , Cayenne and Taycan . The origins of

2400-420: Is short for Ferdinand Porsche's full title in German, Doktor Ingenieur honoris causa lit.   ' Doctor of Engineering, Honorary Degree ' Ferdinand Porsche. The main offices was at Kronenstraße 24 in the centre of Stuttgart . Initially, the company offered motor vehicle development work and consulting, but did not build any cars under its own name. One of the first assignments the new company received

2500-462: Is the company's platform strategy, announced in 2012, for shared modular construction of its longitudinal , front-engined automobiles. It was developed by Audi and first introduced in 2007 on the Audi A5 then, chronologically, on the Audi A4 , Audi Q5 , Audi A8 , Audi A7 , Audi A6 , Porsche Macan and the second generation Audi Q7 ( MLB Evo ). Until 2015, only Audi and Porsche were using

2600-612: The Typ 8D ) debuted in October 1994, with production starting November 1994 and European sales commencing in January 1995 for the 1995 model year. North American sales later began in September 1995 for the 1996 model year. It was built on the Volkswagen Group B5 (PL45) platform , which it shared with the fourth generation Volkswagen Passat (B5, Typ 3B) . It had a front-mounted longitudinal engine and front-wheel drive . Many variations of

2700-738: The Audi A6 , the boot was redesigned to remove the extension of the top edge with a smoother fold line. The rear light assemblies now formed part of the top line, these styling cues were eventually borrowed by other European as well as Asian manufacturers. A sport package named 'Ultra Sport' was introduced in the North American market shortly before the B6 was replaced by the B7. It included aluminium interior trim and door sills, "S line" steering wheel, front and rear spoilers, side skirts, and quattro GmbH designed 18-inch RS4 alloy wheels. The following engines were available: The Audi A4 (B6 & B7) passed

2800-486: The Audi S4 sports sedan has been well-received for its V6 3.0 TFSI engine's power and efficiency. The B8 A4 was facelifted in early 2012. During a model, cycle changes are made to integrate new technologies and to keep the model competitive. These changes are referenced based on the model year (MY) of the car. In Australia, the B8 has undergone 2 revisions leading to three variants, the B8, B8 MY10 and B8 MY11. Audi released

2900-489: The Boxster roadster to their most famous product, the 911 . The Cayman is a coupé otherwise similar to the Boxster. The Cayenne is Porsche's mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV). A high performance luxury saloon/sedan , the Panamera , was launched in 2009. In 2010, Porsche launched the Cayenne S Hybrid and announced the Panamera S Hybrid , and launched the Porsche 918 sports car in 2014, which also features

3000-452: The Euro NCAP safety and crash tests, and was awarded the following car safety ratings: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded both the B6 & B7 a "Good" rating in the frontal crash test; the B7 was not retested since the front portion is structurally the same. Audi introduced a heavily facelifted A4 in late 2004, with the internal designation of B7 . Although given

3100-600: The Euro NCAP safety and crash tests, the Audi B5 A4 received 3 stars for front- and side-impact protection, but the last star is flagged to indicate that the driver may be subjected to a high risk of chest injury in the side impact. In 1997, Audi was the first European car manufacturer to put a hybrid vehicle into mass production , the third generation Audi duo, then based on the A4 Avant. The next A4, internally designated Typ 8E , debuted on 10 October 2000, now riding on

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3200-525: The Volkswagen Group (which also owns Audi AG ), because the first Volkswagen Beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche . The two companies collaborated in 1969 to make the VW-Porsche 914 and 914-6 , whereby the 914-6 had a Porsche engine, and the 914 had a Volkswagen engine. Further collaboration in 1976 resulted in the Porsche 912 E (US only) and the Porsche 924 , which used many Audi components, and

3300-564: The Volkswagen Group B6 (PL46) platform . The car's new styling was developed under Peter Schreyer between 1996 and 1998, inspired by the Bauhaus design language of the C5 (second-generation) Audi A6 introduced in 1997. The 1.6-litre base model powerplant remained unchanged, but most other petrol/gasoline engines received either displacement increases, or power upgrades. The 1.8-litre 20-valve Turbo

3400-581: The coat of arms of the Free People's State of Württemberg of Weimar Germany of 1918–1933, which had Stuttgart as its capital. (The Bundesland of Württemberg-Hohenzollern used the same arms from 1945 to 1952, while Stuttgart during these years operated as the capital of adjacent Württemberg-Baden .) The arms of Stuttgart appear in the middle of the logo as an inescutcheon , for the company had its headquarters in Stuttgart. The heraldic symbols, combined with

3500-460: The suspension . The 356, however, had several evolutionary stages, A, B, and C, while in production, and most Volkswagen-sourced parts were replaced by Porsche-made parts. Beginning in 1954 the 356s engines started utilizing engine cases designed specifically for the 356. The sleek bodywork was designed by Erwin Komenda , who also had designed the body of the Beetle. Porsche's signature designs have, from

3600-449: The 272,162 cars produced in 2020, 34,328 were 911 models, 21,784 were 718 Boxster and Cayman cars, 92,860 were Cayennes, 20,015 Taycan vehicles. Of the 321,321 vehicles produced in 2022, 41,947 were 911 models,18,080 were 718 Boxster/Cayman models, 91,117 were Macans, 98,113 were Cayennes, 35,241 were Panameras and 36,823 were Taycan models. The base price as of March 2024 are: The current Porsche model range includes sports cars from

3700-573: The 456 kilowatts (620  PS ; 612  bhp ) Carrera GT commenced in Leipzig, and at EUR 450,000 ($ 440,000 in the United States) it was the most expensive production model Porsche ever built. In mid-2006, after years of the Boxster (and later the Cayenne) as the best selling Porsche in North America, the 911 regained its position as Porsche's best-seller in the region. The Cayenne and 911 have cycled as

3800-405: The 6 speed manual for all higher output variants. As before, multitronic continuously variable transmission (CVT), now with selectable 'seven-speeds', was an option on front-wheel drive models, whilst a conventional ZF 6HP 6-speed tiptronic automatic transmission was an option on the quattro four-wheel drive models. In addition to the Audi S4 , which carried over the powertrain from

3900-514: The 911 during the 1970s and replace it with the V8 - front engined grand sportswagon 928 . As we know today, the 911 outlived the 928 by far. Fuhrmann was replaced in the early 1980s by Peter W. Schutz , an American manager and self-proclaimed 911 aficionado. He was then replaced in 1988 by the former manager of German computer company Nixdorf Computer AG, Arno Bohn , who made some costly miscalculations that led to his dismissal soon after, along with that of

4000-597: The A4 were also available with Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system. The A4 was initially introduced as a four-door saloon/sedan ; the Avant ( estate/wagon ) was introduced in November 1995 and went on sale in February 1996. Development began in 1988, with the first design sketches being created later that year. By 1991, an exterior design by Imre Hasanic was chosen and frozen for November 1994 production by 1992. The interior design

4100-557: The B6 S4 – Audi reintroduced the quattro GmbH developed Audi RS4 ( RS for R enn S port ) to the lineup, for the first time on the saloon/sedan and Cabriolet body, and with a naturally aspirated, but high-revving 4.2-litre V8 FSI engine. Another inclusion on the RS4 was the latest generation Torsen T-3 Quattro 4WD system, which uses a 'default' asymmetric 40:60 front-rear dynamic torque distribution bias. This new asymmetric center differential

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4200-505: The B8 A4 is approximately 55:45, depending on body style and engine. The relocation of the steering rack in front of the axle also improves handling over previous A4 platforms. Key to the implementation of MLP is the novel mounting of the differential in front of the clutch. This is achieved by driving the flywheel/clutch remotely by means of a 'top hat' shaped drive plate, between which the differential lay shaft passes, whilst power transmission to

4300-501: The ECU, which increased the output to 220 PS (162 kW; 217 bhp) and 300 N⋅m (221 lb⋅ft) of torque. It was available with front-wheel drive, or Quattro four-wheel drive. The B7 Cabriolet model arrived later than the other two body variants, being first shown in late 2005 and with sales beginning in February 2006. New on the Cabriolet was an entry-level 2.0 TDI version, which

4400-519: The MLB platform. In February 2016 Volkswagen introduced the MLB based Phideon luxury sedan built and sold uniquely in the Chinese market. Volkswagen Group markets the strategy under the code name MLB , which stands for Modularer Längsbaukasten , translating from German to "Modular Longitudinal Matrix". MLB is one strategy within VW's overall MB (Modulare Baukasten or modular matrix) program which also includes

4500-441: The Porsche family, and a supervisory board consisting largely of family members. With this change, most family members in the operation of the company, including F. A. Porsche and Ferdinand Piëch, departed from the company. F. A. Porsche founded his own design company, Porsche Design , which is renowned for exclusive sunglasses, watches, furniture, and many other luxury articles. Louise's son and Ferry's nephew Ferdinand Piëch , who

4600-758: The SUV are also assembled in the Volkswagen Touareg factory in Bratislava , Slovakia. Boxster and Cayman production was outsourced to Valmet Automotive in Finland from 1997 to 2011, and in 2012 production moved to Germany. Since 2011, the area of the Zuffenhausen plant has more than doubled, from 284,000 m (28.4 ha) to 614,000 m (61.4 ha), as a result of purchasing the former Layher, Deltona and Daimler sites, among others. In 2015, Porsche reported selling

4700-481: The arms of Württemberg lives on in the Porsche logo. On 30 January 1951, not long before the formation of Baden-Württemberg, Ferdinand Porsche died from complications following a stroke. In post-war Germany, parts were generally in short supply, so the 356 automobile used components from the Volkswagen Beetle, including the engine case from its internal combustion engine , transmission , and several parts used in

4800-474: The beginning, featured air-cooled rear-engine configurations (like the Beetle), rare for other car manufacturers, but producing automobiles that are very well balanced. In 1964, after a fair amount of success in motor-racing with various models including the 550 Spyder , and with the 356 needing a major re-design, the company launched the Porsche 911 : another air-cooled , rear-engined sports car, this time with

4900-546: The car over to other models." The British magazine, Car , said "the idea heralds a return to basic principles of mass production in an industry where over the last 100 years, complexity has spiralled out of control. By creating a standardised, interchangeable set of parts from which to build a variety of cars, (the company) plans to cut the time taken to build a car by 30%." Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG , usually shortened to Porsche ( German pronunciation: [ˈpɔʁʃə] ; see below ),

5000-502: The chairman of Volkswagen Group . The first chief executive officer (CEO) of Porsche AG was Ernst Fuhrmann , who had been working in the company's engine development division. Fuhrmann was responsible for the so-called Fuhrmann-engine, used in the 356 Carrera models as well as the 550 Spyder, having four overhead camshafts instead of a central camshaft with pushrods, as in the Volkswagen-derived serial engines. He planned to cease

5100-457: The company date to the 1930s when Czech-German automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche founded Porsche with Adolf Rosenberger , a keystone figure in the creation of German automotive manufacturer and Audi precursor Auto Union , and Austrian businessman Anton Piëch , who was, at the time, also Ferdinand Porsche's son in law. In its early days, it was contracted by the German government to create

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5200-419: The company's legal form was changed from Kommanditgesellschaft (KG), or limited partnership, to Aktiengesellschaft (AG), or public limited company, because Ferry Porsche came to believe the scale of the company outgrew a "family operation", after learning about Soichiro Honda 's "no family members in the company" policy at Honda . This led to the establishment of an executive board with members from outside

5300-462: The company's various brands, to be manufactured at the same plant, further saving cost. Ulrich Hackenberg  [ de ] , former chief of Volkswagen’s Research and Development, called MB a "strategic weapon." Jalopnik said "the biggest feature is the uniform position of all motors and transmissions" and that "by fitting all motors into the same place (the company) hope(s) to cut down on engineering costs and weight/complexity when porting

5400-419: The development director, Dr. Ulrich Bez , who was formerly responsible for BMW's Z1 model, and was CEO of Aston Martin from 2000 to 2013. In 1990, Porsche drew up a memorandum of understanding with Toyota to learn and benefit from Japanese lean manufacturing methods. In 2004 it was reported that Toyota was assisting Porsche with hybrid technology . Following the dismissal of Bohn, Heinz Branitzki ,

5500-522: The end of 2015, the 52.2% control interest in VW AG is the predominant investment by Porsche SE, and Volkswagen AG in turn controls brands and companies such as Volkswagen , Audi , SEAT , Škoda , Bentley , Bugatti , Lamborghini , Porsche AG, Ducati , VW Commercial Vehicles, Scania , MAN , as well as Volkswagen Financial Services. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (which stands for Doktor Ingenieur honoris causa Ferdinand Porsche Aktiengesellschaft ), as

5600-415: The engine's power output was raised to 180 PS (132 kW; 178 bhp) and 235 N⋅m (173 lb⋅ft). Five-valve technology was also added to a reengineered V6 family of engines in 1997, starting with the 2.8-litre V6 30v, which now produced 193 PS (142 kW; 190 bhp), followed by a 2.4-litre V6 which was a downsize from the previous 2.6 litre, 150 hp (112 kW) engine, but with

5700-412: The final drive is via an inclined transfer shaft which runs the length of the transmission unit. Whilst the platform retains Audi's "overhung" engine mounting position, the front axle is now 152mm further forward than the previous B6/B7 generation platform. The transfer shaft, however, has the effect of creating a large "bulge" on one side of the transmission tunnel, which on right-hand drive versions forces

5800-531: The first official pictures of the B8 series A4 in August 2007 and unveiled the car to the public at the September 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show . Saloon/sedan and Avant ( estate/wagon ) models are offered. The Avant station wagon/estate was presented at the March 2008 Geneva Motor Show . The A4 Allroad Quattro is based upon the Avant but features a wider track, increased ground clearance, Quattro permanent four-wheel drive ,

5900-542: The front and rear plus interior trim from the A4 Cabriolet. The entire Audi B7 A4 production line from Audi's Ingolstadt plant was dismantled and sent to Volkswagen Group 's SEAT factory in Martorell , Spain. The following engines were available: The Audi A4 offers many standard safety features, including Bosch ESP 8.0 Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with anti-lock braking system (ABS), side airbags in

6000-402: The headquarters will include a new office building and test track. The facility will be known by its new address, One Porsche Drive. In October 2017, Porsche Cars North America announced the launch of Porsche Passport, a new sports car and SUV subscription program . This new offering allows consumers to access Porsche vehicles through subscribing to the service, rather than owning or leasing

6100-541: The island state of Tasmania . The plant will be the first of its type in the country. The facility is to be named the HIF (Highly Innovative Fuels) Tasmania Carbon Neutral eFuel Plant . It is slated to open in 2026. The headquarters and main factory are located in Zuffenhausen, a district in Stuttgart , where Porsche produces flat-6 and V8 piston engines. Cayenne and Panamera models are manufactured in Leipzig , Germany, and parts for

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6200-512: The launch by the end of 2014 of the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid a plug-in hybrid , which will displace the Cayenne S Hybrid from the lineup. The S E-Hybrid will be the first plug-in hybrid in the premium SUV segment and will allow Porsche to become the first automaker with three production plug-in hybrid models. In July 2017, Porsche installed its first 350 kW, 800V charging station, which

6300-553: The midsize luxury car segment, having started this trajectory notably with later model years of the preceding Audi 80/90 B4 . Despite initial mechanical problems, overall build and assembly quality were lauded both by the automotive press and within Audi and Volkswagen, and at the time, parent company Volkswagen declared the B5 the company-wide build quality benchmark for all its other models. The Audi A4 B5 saw nearly constant minor changes and alterations throughout its seven-year run. Moreover,

6400-444: The new high-performance Audi S4 , now part of the A4 lineup (the previous S4 had been an Audi 100 ). Cosmetic updates included new rear lights, headlights, door handles, and another minor exterior/interior changes. In mid-1998, the 1.8 20vT engine available outside Europe had its power output raised to 170 PS (125 kW; 168 bhp). The previous KKK K03 turbocharger , although fundamentally unchanged, received revisions on

6500-588: The official distributor of the Stuttgart-based company in Malaysia since 2010. Of the 246,375 cars produced in the 2017 financial year, 32,197 were 911 models, 25,114 were Boxster and Cayman cars, 63,913 were Cayennes, 27,942 were Panameras and 97,202 were Macans. Of the 268,691 cars produced in 2018, 36,236 were 911 models, 23,658 were 718 Boxster and Cayman cars, 79,111 were Cayennes, 35,493 were Panameras, 93,953 were Macans and 240 Taycan pre-series vehicles. Of

6600-473: The one-millionth 911. An Irish green Carrera S was built for the celebration, and it will be taken on a global tour before becoming a permanent exhibit at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. In August 2021, Porsche has confirmed that it will be setting up a production plant in Malaysia, the first country outside of Europe. Local assembly will be handled by Porsche Malaysia's partner, Sime Darby, which has been

6700-512: The pedals to be badly offset, which has attracted criticism from the British motoring press in particular. The B8 A4 has increased in wheelbase by 160 millimetres (6.3 in) and in length by 117 millimetres (4.6 in) over the prior B7, which has allowed for increased rear seating legroom. Although the overall dimensions have increased, the curb weight has dropped some 10%. The boot (trunk) has also increased to 480 litres (17.0 cu ft) for

6800-450: The preliminary offering, 113,875 thousand shares were sold at the upper limit of the price range - 82.5 euros. Thus, the value of the company was estimated at 75 billion euros. In the first hours of trading on the Frankfurt stock exchange on 29 September, the share price rose to 84 euros. In April 2022, Porsche Australia announced they are planning to open an efuel manufacturing facility in

6900-405: The race-track, in rallies , and in terms of road car sales. It remains in production; however, after several generations of revision, current-model 911s share only the basic mechanical configuration of a rear-engined, six-cylinder coupé , and basic styling cues with the original car. A cost-reduced model with the same body, but with a 356-derived four-cylinder engine, was sold as the 912. In 1972,

7000-581: The range. The Avant was introduced in June 2001 and arrived in European showrooms in September 2001. For 2002, Audi increased power in the 1.8 Turbo engines to 183 PS (135 kW; 180 bhp) and 190 PS (140 kW; 187 bhp) – the 190 PS variant designated by a red 'T' on the boot lid. Available with four wheel drive and in the 2.5 TDI intermediate version to 163 PS (120 kW; 161 bhp). A 2.0 engine with Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI)

7100-448: The relationship between the engine, transmission and front axle, the MLP allows for a reduced front overhang, resulting in a greater wheelbase length without the same increase in overall length. This effectively redistributes the centre of gravity slightly rearwards, improving handling by better balancing vehicle mass between the front and rear axles. The estimated static front:rear weight ratio of

7200-479: The resultant measures implemented by the relevant authorities." In August 2022, Bloomberg News reported that Porsche has lined up interest in subscription of its initial public offering for a valuation between US$ 60–85   billion. It is expected to be listed on Frankfurt Stock Exchange in September. The company has always had a close relationship with, initially, the Volkswagen (VW) marque , and later,

7300-566: The saloon (sedan) version. The A4 Avant will have a maximum capacity of 1,430 L (50.5 cu ft) with the rear seats folded down. Reception has been mixed, with praise for the Audi A4's increased size, giving it best-in-class rear legroom and trunk space in the compact executive car segment. Its inline-4 2.0 TFSI engine, while efficient providing plenty of torque, was considered lacking and less refined compared to 6-cylinder engines of lighter rivals who posted faster acceleration times. However,

7400-464: The saloon version. The Audi A4 Cabriolet version was co-developed and manufactured by Karmann . Audi introduced a continuously variable transmission developed by LuK , named multitronic , which replaced the dated conventional automatic transmission on front-wheel drive models. There have been widespread complaints from consumers around the world that the transmission box is prone to electronic glitches as well as mechanical problems. Borrowing from

7500-399: The saloon, 8ED for the Avant, and 8HE for the Cabriolet. The engine lineup received many additions. The 2005 introduction of Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) on the 2.0 TFSI and 3.2 V6 FSI petrol/gasoline engines , as well as other refinements, increased power output to 200 PS (147 kW; 197 bhp) and 255 PS (188 kW; 252 bhp), respectively. These engines both use

7600-547: The same manner as the C6 (third-generation) Audi A6 ; however, the dashboard and interior were virtually unchanged from the B6 aside from minor detailing. Audi's internal platform nomenclature uses PL46 ( p assenger car l ongitudinal platform, size 4 , generation 6 ) for both B6 and B7 chassis. The Typ 8E and Typ 8H internal designations are also carried over from the B6 A4 range, but now have an additional identifying suffix – 8EC for

7700-547: The seats, 'sideguard' curtain airbags, and its optional quattro four-wheel drive system. It also received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) "Top Safety Pick For 2007". EuroNCAP crash test results from the B6 apply to the B7 model. Audi released the first official pictures of the B8 series A4 in August 2007 and unveiled the car to the public at the September 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show . Saloon/sedan and Avant ( estate/wagon ) models are offered. The Avant

7800-440: The similar MQB strategy for its vehicles with transverse engine orientation. While a model may be said to use an MLB platform , it is not so much a platform per se , but rather a system for introducing rationality across disparate platforms that share engine orientation — regardless of model, vehicle size or brand. Thus, MLB uses a core "matrix" of components across a wide variety of platforms — for example, sharing

7900-400: The texts "Porsche" and "Stuttgart", do not form a conventional coat of arms , since heraldic achievements never spell out the name of the armiger nor the armiger's home town in the shield. Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern both in 1952 became part of the present Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg after the political consolidation of West Germany in 1949, but the old design of

8000-551: The top-selling model since. In Germany, the 911 outsells the Boxster/Cayman and Cayenne. In May 2011, Porsche Cars North America announced plans to spend $ 80–$ 100 million, but will receive about $ 15 million in economic incentives to move their North American headquarters from Sandy Springs , a suburb of Atlanta , to Aerotropolis, Atlanta , a new mixed-use development on the site of the old Ford Hapeville plant adjacent to Atlanta's airport . Designed by architectural firm HOK ,

8100-423: The turbine side to prevent cracking due to heat. The 12-valve V6 was replaced by the 30-valve unit which had been available in Europe for two years. A further facelift took place across the A4 and S4 platform in February 1999 as a 1999.5 model; changes were largely cosmetic but affected many components, such as both front and rear bumpers, the front and rear lights, the center console, and door handles. This facelift

8200-404: The two companies' car manufacturing operations. By 2015, Porsche SE , the holding company spun off from the original Porsche firm, had a controlling interest in the Volkswagen Group , which included Audi and Lamborghini as subsidiaries. Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951) founded the company called "Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH " with Adolf Rosenberger and Anton Piëch in 1931. The name

8300-757: The war, losing out to Henschel & Son in both contracts that ultimately led to the Tiger I and the Tiger II . However, not all this work was wasted, as the chassis Porsche designed for the Tiger I was used as the base for the Elefant tank destroyer . Porsche also developed the Maus super-heavy tank in the closing stages of the war, producing two prototypes. Ferdinand Porsche's biographer, Fabian Müller, wrote that Porsche had thousands of people forcibly brought to work at their factories during

8400-568: The war. The workers wore the letter "P" on their clothing at all times. It stood not for "Porsche", but for "Poland". At the end of World War II in 1945, the Volkswagen factory at KdF-Stadt fell to the British. Ferdinand lost his position as chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen, and Ivan Hirst , a British Army major, was put in charge of the factory. (In Wolfsburg, the Volkswagen company magazine dubbed him "The British Major who saved Volkswagen".) On 15 December of that year, Ferdinand

8500-537: Was also available. A year later, Audi reintroduced the S4, now powered by a 344 PS (253 kW; 339 bhp) 4.2 L V8 engine , as well as an A4 Cabriolet convertible variant ( Typ 8H ), finally replacing the 80 -based Audi Cabriolet which had been discontinued in 2000. It included an electro-hydraulic operated roof, which lowered in under 30 seconds and incorporated some styling changes, such as body-coloured lower bumper and sill panels, which later found their way to

8600-499: Was arrested for war crimes, but not tried. During his 20-month imprisonment, Ferdinand Porsche's son, Ferry Porsche , decided to build his own car, because he could not find an existing one that he wanted to buy. He also had to steer the company through some of its most difficult days until his father's release in August 1947. The first models of what was to become the 356 were built in a small sawmill in Gmünd , Austria. The prototype car

8700-482: Was built at Audi's Neckarsulm factory, which had been NSU 's. Porsche 944s were also built there, although they used far fewer Volkswagen components. The Cayenne, introduced in 2002, shares its chassis with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7 , which is built at the Volkswagen Group factory in Bratislava , Slovakia . Porsche SE was created in June 2007 by renaming the old Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, and became

8800-739: Was capable of 220 PS (162 kW; 217 bhp) and 300 N⋅m (221 lb⋅ft) of torque. The 1.9 Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) engine was upgraded to 130 PS (96 kW; 128 bhp), with Pumpe Düse (Unit Injector) (PD) technology, and was now available with quattro permanent four-wheel drive , while the 2.5 V6 TDI high-end model was introduced with 180 PS (132 kW; 178 bhp) and standard quattro. This generation of quattro consisted of default of 50:50 front to rear dynamic torque distribution. A Bosch ESP 5.7 Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system, with anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist , and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) were standard across

8900-650: Was chairman and CEO of the Volkswagen Group from 1993 to 2002 and is chairman of the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board since then. With 12.8 percent of the Porsche SE voting shares, he also remains the second-largest individual shareholder of Porsche SE after his cousin, F. A. Porsche, which had 13.6 percent. Porsche's 2002 introduction of the Cayenne also marked the unveiling of a new production facility in Leipzig , Saxony , which once accounted for nearly half of Porsche's annual output. In 2004, production of

9000-568: Was from the German government to design a car for the people; that is, a Volk swagen . This resulted in the Volkswagen Beetle , one of the most successful car designs of all time. Later, the Porsche 64 would be developed in 1939 using many components from the Beetle. During World War II , Volkswagen production turned to the military version of the Volkswagen Beetle, the Kübelwagen , 52,000 produced, and Schwimmwagen , 15,584 produced. Porsche produced several designs for heavy tanks during

9100-603: Was initially only available on the RS4 but was added a year later on the S4. The remainder of the B7 A4 range still used the T-2 50:50 default dynamic split center diff. A variant, developed by quattro GmbH , was first introduced in May 2005, named "Audi A4 DTM Edition ". It was inspired by Audi's race cars of the 2004 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and was reintroduced in 2006 as a regular option. The 2.0T FSI engine received revised software mapping to

9200-478: Was known at Audi as a Grosse Produktaufwertung ( Major Product Upgrade ), as was also signified by facelift cars now carrying the denomination "8D 2 ". In 1999 Audi also debuted an even higher performance R enn S port model (rennsport literally translates as racing sport ), the RS4 Avant , like its predecessor RS2 , available only in the Avant bodystyle. The following engines were available: BDV Engine In

9300-477: Was later acquired by Porsche (so-called Werk 2). Afterward, Reuter became a seat manufacturer, today known as Keiper-Recaro . The design office gave sequential numbers to every project (See Porsche type numbers ), but the designated 901 nomenclature contravened Peugeot 's trademarks on all 'x0x' names, so it was adjusted to 911. Racing models adhered to the "correct" numbering sequence: 904, 906, 908. The 911 has become Porsche's most well-known model – successful on

9400-405: Was later finalized in 1992, with pilot production commencing in the first half of 1994. Development concluded in the third quarter of 1994, preceding November 1994 start of production. A wide range of engines were available in European markets, between 1.6 and 2.8 litres for petrol engines ; and a 1.9-litre diesel engine available with Volkswagen Group 's VE technology, capable of achieving

9500-788: Was not offered with the Multitronic CVT gearbox. The Cabriolet version was produced by Karmann until February 2009. In 2007 Audi introduced a version of the B7 named the 'Special Edition', which built on the S-Line specification and also included the black optics pack, the RS4 style 8J X 18 '7-arm double-spoke' design alloy wheels, Two-tone Graphite/Black Volterra leather, 3-spoke sports leather/Alcantara multi-function steering wheel with gear knob and hand brake handle in Alcantara with silver stitching, ventilated cross-drilled front disc-brakes, black tailpipes and black roof rails (Avant model only). It also had

9600-402: Was now available in two additional versions, with 150 PS (110 kW; 148 bhp) or 180 PS (132 kW; 178 bhp), this one with a standard six-speed manual gearbox , while the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre inline-four engine and 2.8-litre V6 were replaced by 2.0-litre, and all- aluminium alloy 3.0-litre units, still with five valves per cylinder, the most powerful of which

9700-424: Was responsible for mechanical development of Porsche's production and racing cars (including the very successful 911 , 908 and 917 models), formed his own engineering bureau, and developed a five-cylinder-inline diesel engine for Mercedes-Benz . A short time later he moved to Audi (used to be a division, then a subsidiary, of Volkswagen), and pursued his career through the entire company, ultimately becoming

9800-431: Was shown to German auto dealers, and when pre-orders reached a set threshold, production (with aluminum body) was begun by Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH , founded by Ferry and Louise . Many regard the 356 as the first Porsche simply because it was the first model sold by the fledgling company. After production of the 356 was taken over by the father's Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH in Stuttgart in 1950, Porsche commissioned

9900-482: Was the first model in the Volkswagen Group to feature the new 1.8-litre 20v engine with five valves per cylinder , based on the unit Audi Sport had developed for their Supertouring race car. A turbocharged 1.8T version produced 150 PS (110 kW; 148 bhp) and 210  N⋅m (155  lb⋅ft ) torque. Moreover, a quattro GmbH special edition of the B5 1.8T was later available in Germany and Europe, for which

10000-478: Was unveiled to the public at the March 2008 Geneva Motor Show . For North America's destined models, the B8 continued in production for the 2016 model year, while Europe began deliveries on the 2016 B9 model. The B8 A4 is built on a variant of the Audi Modular Longitudinal Platform , a platform that is also used in the Audi A5 coupé . While prior A4 chassis were limited in wheelbase due to

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