BMW Would Like a Porsche 911 Fighter

The legendary Porsche 911 may have to contend with a new direct rival from BMW in a couple of years. That’s the wish expressed by Adrian von Hooydonk, the Bavarian automaker’s design director.

Here’s what he told British publication Autocar in a recent interview: “It’s a nice idea. Maybe we should work on that!”

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Rumours of a 911 fighter at BMW began to spread four years ago, but none of them turned out to be true. Instead, the Munich-based company phased out the 6 Series—first the coupe and convertible, then the Gran Turismo in most markets—to maximize the success of the all-new 8 Series in the large sporty car segment.

A return of the 6 Series in a much different package is a real possibility, von Hooydonk hinted. This time the emphasis would be more on performance and dynamics than comfort and opulence. Unfortunately, the executive wouldn’t comment further.

It’s clear that BMW has the expertise, the powertrains and the technology to drive this project to market, but does it have the resources? That’s the million-dollar question.

Similar to Mercedes-Benz and Audi, BMW has to make big decisions and reduce costs globally. The priority going forward is electrification with the launch of plug-in hybrid models and soon a whole new generation of electric vehicles.

Also, don’t forget that BMW has just resurrected the Z4 in a partnership with Toyota. Is the little roadster enough for the company’s top brass or will they heed the advice of von Hooydonk and create a new sports car that can take on the 911 fair and square? We’ll keep our fingers crossed.