Porsche isn't a sportscar manufacturer anymore. With 13'906 Panameras and 18'932 Cayennes built in the first 9 month of the current financial year, Porsche built more "standard" cars than sportscars (i.e. 13'137 911 and 7'630 Cayman/Boxters). Surprising, isn't it? What does it tell us? Good brands and a well earned reputation help to sell cars, even if produced in large number and adressing totally different needs. In addition it even works out when the cars are not good looking and vastly expensive for what they offer.Porsche, please focus on building great sportscars!
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As a Porsche motorsports fan, I have to be extra careful to reply in a very neutral way to this post.
The observation described in the post is of course correct by looking at the overall production landscape of Porsche (street and race cars). But it would have been only fair to mention that Porsche was the most successful race car manufacturer in 2009: they sold the highest number of race cars to the GT2 and GT3 teams by selling the Porsche GT3-RSR and GT3-R racers (be it the 996 or 997 models).
In addition to that, Porsche has shown that they are also able to produce a winner car in the prototype scene with their Porsche RS Spyder. So, they ARE building race cars... :-)
I'm waiting for the year where Porsche starts in the LMP1 class at Le Mans! But before that, we'll enjoy the first Hybrid racer in the 2011 season...
Cheers
- B
You are right, ar, Porsche is of course a true sportscar engineering Company and some of the cars are really excellent. It's just surprising that it's easier to sell cars far away from your genes than what you are good at. The Cayenne is probably not a bad car, and the Panamera neither, but it's rear engine and few front and mid engine driven sportcars that are the destiny of Porsche. And of course the racing cars.
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