Porsche’s chief executive, Wendelin Weideking, has been in talks with potential Middle East investors in the company. According to reports, he’s been in discussions with several funds – including ones in Abu Dhabi and Qatar – about taking a stake of up to 25 per cent in the Stuttgart company.

It’s not known what the move is aimed at achieving, but some have suggested that it is either done to keep Porsche independent, or help the company improve its position in negotiations with Volkswagen, with whom it is currently holding merger talks.

Porsche still owns more than 50 per cent of VW but the company ran into financial difficulties after it built up a debt of 9billion Euros (around .5bln) trying to buy stocks in VW.

Europe’s largest carmaker ended talks with Porsche in May after it had accused Porsche’s management of obstructing the negotiations about the merger. VW spokesmen also said Porsche was not ready for a merger because of its problems in meeting payments on loans.

Despite the yo-yo’ing talks, Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of Porsche, and Ferdinand Piëch, chairman of Volkswagen, reaffirmed that both still aimed to create an ‘integrated car manufacturer’.

The two men are cousins, whose grandfather was Ferdinand Porsche.

Further speculation is now also mounting over Porsche’s finances after the company admitted it had taken a 700m Euro loan from Volkswagen.