I hope Porsche continues to develop new models so that someday i can have the dedicated sports car (911), the work cruiser (Panamerica) the roadster (Boxster), off-roader (cayenne w/air suspension) and the family hauler (minivan). That way i never have to own anything but a porsche (except for my M3 which is my dream car)

Everybody knows Lexus is Toyota, and Accura is Honda.

I wish Porsche would have offered the Cayenne under a different brand, but let everybody know the parent company is Porsche. Let Porsche build the world's best sports cars, but let the profits roll in from other market segments from a different brand.

There's no doubt that a product like a minivan from Porsche would be more entertaining to drive than a Ford Windstar or an Astrovan or whatever people buy these days but the problem is that it screws up the image of a high-end manufacturer that relies to a large extent on mistique and feelings of excitement to sell cars. Porsche has built its image over a period of decades and can command a premium in the marketplace - they are the most profitable (margin %) car maker.

Rolex doesn't sell mass market quartz watches and allow distribution in mass market retailers for a reason - exclusivity and brand image. They leave that up to Tag Heuer because that's their market. And you'd be reluctant to buy a $10,000 Tag because it's just a Tag.

Porsche would be much better off partnering with someone, like maybe VW, and helping them design great people movers. A royalty arrangement would let them profit from the volume if it's a success. After all, Porsche has Porsche Engineering that does development work.

When I think about Porsche making a minivan or SUV, it makes me think of Packard. Packard made a heck of a top-shelf car. They went out of business trying to make cars that were something less. I don't know if this happens to Porsche now for trying to be something they are not, or have not been in the past in any event, I hope not.

Not to beat a dead horse, but even a 4 cylinder 914 has a front suspension that ended up on a 911, and the later 2 liter cars did not really share much beyond the block with a bus motor. To my mind the water cooled front engine cars are a further trip afield than the 914 was, but that is me; I look at all of them as Porsches, but I can't see a Cayenne as anything but a VW SUV

And then theres this spy shot.......

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1134378737.jpg

Yes, a couple of things wrong with the Cayenne are its weight and its late appearance in the market. If Porsche does a 'minivan' it will be one of the last manufacturers to do so in a mature market.
If (I should capitalize that word and increase the font size) Porsche goes to market with a 1 box people mover, It will be the best handling MV on the road, it will go like stink and it won't be cheap.
The target audience for that vehicle is the guy who last year dropped 80 large on a new P-car and now the wife is saying she needs a minivan to get the kids to school. Another 60 or 80 isn't going to bother him much, he'll lease the thing anyway. Besides, if he gets the Porsche van (Lets call it the 'Cavern' for now), he will be able to show it off to the guys when they go to the golf tournament in the next state.
It won't have a manual transmission, only the 'Tip", but it will have traction control, active handling and every other electronic aid they can integrate into the package to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The torque curve will be as flat as Kansas and the only way most of us would be caught dead in it is if they made a stripped-out version (or someone got a light roll-over salvage) as a parts hauler.
We're not the market for new Porsche cars (sort of like the first line for 'Middle Aged Crazy'). What we, the guys who keep 20 and 30 year old versions alive, think about the direction Porsche takes, is about as important as the color of the de-odorizers in the urinals in the men's room. (Did you notice? No? Neither did they.)
Les