Auto Observer picked up on a CAR story that suggests the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne might be killed off under Volkswagen ownership. Both models would complete their current cycles, but when they're up about 7 years from now, that might be it.

The justification, according to CAR, is that the "VW Group has plenty of SUVs and saloons – it doesn't need Porsche to build them."

This scenario is regarded as part of VW chairman Ferdinand Piech's master plan. Piech went to the mat against now-ousted Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking during Porsche's unsuccessful attempt to grab control of VW. Wiedeking was the architect of Porsche's forays into SUV and sedan development.

In place of the Panamera and Cayenne, Porsche could get an entry-level model based on VW's upcoming Modular Sportscar Structure (MSS) that debuted on the VW BlueSport concept in Detroit.

We have our doubts that the Panamera and Cayenne are actually slated for an primeval death, though, and it's unlikely we're the only ones. Until the economic downturn, the Cayenne was a highly profitable model for Porsche, and based on our first drive of the nicely executed Panamera, we expect it to do at least as well. It's hard to imagine that Piech and VW would turn down the chance to make more money.

Auto Observer

2010 Porsche Panamera First Drive and Video