A Porsche assembly plant could soon be constructed in the Leningrad Region in northwest Russia, the Vremya Novostei daily said on Thursday.

Leningrad Region officials held talks Wednesday with Valmet Automative Inc, a Finnish outsourcing company assembling premium specialty cars of different brands, including the Porsche Boxter and Porsche Cayman.

The officials said the company is looking for a plant which could be re-equipped with new production lines, the paper said.

The regional government offered the company four potential sites, and the local governmental press service said the prospective investors were interested in the "attractive Leningrad Region."

"The negotiators did not specify which models would be assembled, but said the company wants to initially roll out up to 10,000 cars," the daily said. "Valmet Automative wants to inspect the sites on offer and if the company is satisfied, another round of talks will follow."

Local authorities have repeatedly announced talks with foreign carmakers, but most manufacturers have largely opted for adjacent St. Petersburg, home to five projects - Toyota, Nissan, GM, Suzuki and Hyundai. The Leningrad Region currently is only home to Ford models.

RIA Novosti


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