Audi and Porsche will be working even more closely in future, the two Volkswagen-owned premium brands announcing on Wednesday that they will embark on a “shared vehicle architecture strategy” that will help them meet the motoring demands of the future.
While it’s true that the brands already share a great deal of technology – including six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a platform in the Q5 and Macan's case – the new strategy is likely to see even more common architectures being developed, although the companies did not elaborate on which vehicles would be affected.
However, much of the focus, according to the statement, will be on developing electric drivetrains, autonomous driving systems and cabin digitalisation.
“The best brains of both companies will together set the course for the future,” as Audis CEO Rupert Stadler put it.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume added that the two companies would cooperate "wherever it makes sense", but pointed out that the pair would also be “very careful to maintain the differentiation” between the brands.
The gist of that is that in order to save money through shared R&D and maximum efficiency of scale, they will likely share as much under-the-skin componentry as they can get away with, while doing their best to ensure that there is enough distinction in what the customer can see, hear and feel.
Because there's probably no room on the market for a Pordi.