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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.
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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.