What's Up With Porsche?

[futuresoptions]

What's up with these guys? First they introduce a SUV now they are coming out with a 4dr sedan??? Are they insane?? It seems that they are spitting in the the face of the history and heritage of the company in order to whore out the name and bring in a few dollars. I see that they are acquiring Volkswagen, it would seem to me that they could wait until this occurs and they could start a mid level named company to handle the (family cars). Such as Chevy is to Buick is to Cadillac. I do not know how to deal with this mentally. I know that sounds funny, but its sorta weird, when I look at my 911 and I get the warm and fuzzies about what it is and WHO it is, I seem to get the opposite feeling when I see a cayenne driving down the road. I almost feel that I don't want anybody knowing I own a 911. Its like you stop to get gas and have to explain "Yeah they also make that truck". What they hell is going on, do they want to be Chevy? If so I say knuckleheads, do it under a different guise, not under the one that we have all come to love. Feel free to rag on me if I am wrong.

[bpoteat]

Porsche was in pretty bad financial trouble until they released the, much-panned & hated, boxster and cayenne modesl, which have basically saved the company from downfall. They have come to the conclusion that they can't continue to be a niche car maker. Instead of just releasing the few cars that don't fit their history and grimacing when they announce them, they have embraced the new markets and are proud to take them on as WELL as keeping a strong focus on evolving the 911.

Look at any new comparos in any car mags that contain a 911 and you'll notice that, while they may be releasing different models, they have NOT forgotten about the 911 - it is still king and the rule against which all other sports cars are measured.

[1911Guy]

and this is technical because.......

[sketchers356]

As long as they are making competitive sports cars they can make gold teeth for all that I care. Do you like your 911 for the car itself or the badge?

[rcooled]

Like BMW & Mercedes, Porsche saw an opportunity to cash in on the inexplicable desire of many Americans to use a truck as their conveyance of choice. If there was no market for high-performance trucks, Porsche wouldn't be making them, nor would anyone else. The market was simply too big to ignore and, as stated in a previous post, introducing the Cayenne (as much as it makes me cringe) probably helped to keep the company afloat.

As for the Panamera, it seems to be a logical extension of the product line....much more so than the Cayenne. Many other luxury/sport makers also have both two and four seaters.

[foamy911]

http://www.rinspeed.com/pages/marine/marine_kineo_e.htm

Porsche performance boating !!!!

[wolf]

fwiw i too am not a fan of P making family cars and lots of cash. prefer them to focus on the 911 which seems to have not improved in quality compared to the handbuilt cars before 1990.

[nesslar]

and this is technical because.......

[the]

Originally posted by bpoteat
Porsche was in pretty bad financial trouble until they released the, much-panned & hated, boxster and cayenne modesl, which have basically saved the company from downfall.

Wow, what a bunch of BS.

First, the Boxster was not much-panned and hated. It was one of the most anticipated and widely loved new cars to come out in a long time, with a year+ long waiting list. It has been one of Porsche's most popular and highest selling models ever.

Second, the Cayenne did not save company from any downfall, at the time the Cayenne came out, Porsche was the most profitable car company in the world.

[bpoteat]

Originally posted by the
Wow, what a bunch of BS.

First, the Boxster was not much-panned and hated. It was one of the most anticipated and widely loved new cars to come out in a long time, with a year+ long waiting list. It has been one of Porsche's most popular and highest selling models ever.

Second, the Cayenne did not save company from any downfall, at the time the Cayenne came out, Porsche was the most profitable car company in the world.

Hey, maybe my memory is a little fuzzy, but I'm just passing on what I remember from reading interviews about the state of the company. Maybe the Cayenne shouldn't be included in helping Porsche get back on their feet, but yes, they were hurting financially, and yes, the boxster did bring them out of those times.

As for not being panned, you're right, it wasn't by critics - just like the Cayman is praised now - and look how both of them are treated by many faithful 911 fans. I remember every 911 fanboy I knew hated the boxster AND the 996. They said that Porsche had lost it's way and would never be a true sportscar (ala 911) company again - hell, some still do. They said Porsche was pandering to the lowest common denominator. THAT is not fuzzy in my memory. I remember those conversations like they were yesterday.

[Ed Bighi]

Originally posted by the
Wow, what a bunch of BS.

First, the Boxster was not much-panned and hated. It was one of the most anticipated and widely loved new cars to come out in a long time, with a year+ long waiting list. It has been one of Porsche's most popular and highest selling models ever.

Second, the Cayenne did not save company from any downfall, at the time the Cayenne came out, Porsche was the most profitable car company in the world.

You are 100% correct. It's amazing how people cannot remember 10 years back. The company was in trouble during the 964 era. And it was not due to the 964 at all. In fact, everybody was hurting back in those days. The US and UK were not in the best of times. In fact I even remember the criticism that Mercedes got for the W140 S class at that time for being too big, too ostentatious, overbuilt and overengineered for a market that was coming down from the abuses of the eighties. Even though that particular car highly regarded today for being the last Mercedes built to a standard instead of being built to a price. So Porsche was not alone. The car that truly saved the company was the 993. During the beginning of the 993 era, when the 928 and 968 had been discontinued, the 993 was the only product and, regardless of that fact, Porsche started to make a profit because of it. The 993 sold like hotcakes. It also helped that the 993 sold for less than the 964 it replaced during it's first year. This has been a new tradition at Porsche ever since. The Boxster was the cherry on top that turned an already profitable company into a really profitable one. Also, by then, the latter half of the nineties, the US, UK and the EU were on the up and up economically. I still remember being at the 50th in Monterey, a point in time when the Cayenne did not exist and the Boxster hadn't been around long enough to make a dent. During that event, the Porsche folks could not stop talking about all the profits. All 993 based. As of now it is the most profitable automaker in the world. They have enough funds to become the controlling owners of VW. So, believe me, they do not need a sedan at this point. In fact, every single other automaker in the world has more to worry about than Porsche right now.

The way I look at it, a sedan is far closer to Porsche's heritage than an SUV. Besides, a 4 door sedan makes far more sense for everyday performance driving and general use. I'm against all SUV's period. But as for Porsche needing a sedan or an SUV to keep the company afloat when it's floating so high that it's not even touching the water, I find it to be BS.

If they want to make more money by being another GM/VW, oh well. What the hell do I care how good their stockholders are doing when all I need is for them to make parts. And this brings up an entirely new matter This is a sore subject with me since, during all this profit making, I have seen more of the dreaded NLA next to part numbers than anything else. With so much money, can't these guys make sure that their heritage stays on the road? Right now it's probably easier to get factory BMW parts for a 2002 than for an early 911. So they can go ahead, keep up the BS about keeping the company afloat while they turn the sort of profit that other automakers dream of. But please stop putting NLA next to part numbers.

[bpoteat]

It's not that I don't remember - it's that I remember it differently. And the numbers from a bit of research shows we are both somewhat right. The 993 only sold slightly better than the 964. Much of the profit, which was still only at 4%, came from dropping much of their profit sucking research that ended up abandoned. After the release of the boxster, which accounted for right at 50% of all their sales, their profit jumped to 13% - a pretty significant jump. I still say that without the boxster, they would not be the car maker they are today - for better or for worse.

[CMDR Perry]

Maybe they want to get into NASCAR so they can win the Brickyard at Indy?

[Ed Bighi]

Like I said, the 993 did take them out of the hole. This was said over and over at the 50th in 97. The Boxster was the cherry on top.

Why don't they get into the pickup truck business. They sell extremely well. After all, if you build an SUV, then why not a pickup truck? I also feel that Porsche should get into the toothbrush business. Everybody needs one and they sell well. It could also help the company stay afloat. Casinos are also very profitable. They should look into doing a few. Then there are pharmaceuticals. Porsche prescription drugs should really ensure that the company stays independent. They should look into that.

[450knotOffice]

Your point is a bit exagerated, Ed, but I get one you are trying to say. I disagree, however. Porsche sells automobiles. That's what they do. They may have started out and spent a couple of generations selling nothing but sports cars but why should that stop them from selling sports cars and SUV's and sedans now? I see nothing wrong with it as long as the sports cars are their focus.

By the way, I've been in their Cayenne and I was really impressed by it. It was far and away the nicest SUV I've ever been in. Beautiful. If I ever had the need for another SUV again and could afford to buy one, I would.

[ericwitte]

Gee, if I remember correctly, Porsche used to make tractors and airplanes...If anything, the advent of the cayenne, etc has allowed Porsche the financial flexibility to re-enter racing in a major way (rs spyder, anyone?). If you have driven a Cayenne, you might understand...for those of us who require one for towing and cargo capacity, it beats the heck out of a crappy chevy. Reliable, safe and a great deal of fun to drive. What I find most interesting about the majority of those griping about Porsche's brand expansion, is that most own cars that are more than a few years old...in other words, you have not bought a new porsche vehicle in years, so if it were left up to enthusiasts like yourselves, Porsche would have been out of business!

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Porsche never made airplanes, though it did make aircraft engines, several of which I've flown...

I've never seen so much naivete and lack of awareness of Porsche's history in a single thread. "Golly, I just learned that Porsh is makin' a sedan." Where have these people been?

[andrew15]

It's funny because these are the same comments that enthusiasts have every time Porsche releases a new model. The dialogue goes something like this:
I can't believe they are getting away from their roots by replacing XXXX wtih XXXX.

The first case of this was when critics and enthusiasts panned the 911 as not being a proper replacement for the 356 - Same issues we see today - too heavy, not a true sports car, too comfy, etc..

I doesn't really matter to me - I've got a 1970 911E and can't afford a GT3

AM

[ericwitte]

Thx..I stand corrected...and I thought Dr Porsche also developed some jeep-like vehicles around wwII as well??

[futuresoptions]

I think they can design and produce anything that they want to, I just feel that putting a Porsche crest on road going vehicles that will probably never race a little unsettling. I know the company has produced bicycles, tractors and other items, but I guess on road going cars I feel that they should keep the 356, 911, 914, and even 924/944 type vehicles in mind when producing their vehicles. I guess what I am trying to say is, instead of making upper end family vehicles, they could
make a lower end HP sports car for say 19K-25K and let it be a "Peoples Sports Car". I don't think that everything they make has to be so over engineered. A nice spartan 550/914 type car would be great. And to those that would answer that we have the Boxter, that doesn't even come close to what I am refering to.