Porsche Reports February Sales in U.S.
2008-03-03 12:14 (New York)

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 03, 2008 In the wake of a wary consumer market for new cars spurred by growing negative news about the nation's economy, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), importer and distributor of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne SUVs in the United States, today announced February new-car sales of 1,715 in the United States, representing a 13% decrease from February 2007 sales of 1,967.

While the somber consumer mood impacted sports car sales in particular, Porsche's Cayenne range--including the newly launched Cayenne GTS--showed significant resilience recording more than double the sales this past month over February 2007.

In addition, dealers sold 552 Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned cars in September vs. 453 for the same period last year.

CONTACT:
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Tony Fouladpour, 770-290-3667

 

apparently 911s and holding steady and caymans are dropping very badly. my info was that the whole drop in numbers is almost entirely in cayman sales.
with the strength of cayenne sales offsetting some of this it certainly shows my they are developing the panamera as a way to broaden appeal regardless of what personal opinions may be regarding diluting of the image

 

Interesting that the "top end" is less effected. Similar to real estate I guess.

 

Diluting the image?

Why do you say that. The Cayenne especially the turbo and GTS is a phenomenal vehicle. Fast handles great and feels like a Porsche. We had an ax a few weeks back and with a new Cayenne GTS and it scorched the competition. Nearly as fast as some GT3 RS's and when times were paxed it came in second overall out of 139 cars including some seriously modified Porsche's.

 

it wasnt meant as a negative comment on the cayenne but merely as a side note regarding spreading of the brand away from its traditional core.

regardless of the qualities of the cayenne and whether one likes it or not, its an SUV and a radical new direction for porsche to take. this changes their brand image no matter how you want to look at it. they are no longer a supercar/sports car maker.

the success of the cayenne has shown without doubt that from a purely business stand point they were right on the money to do so. its popularity is pulling porsche through an economic downturn and offsetting the dismal decline of cayman sales. the failing of the cayman has also shown that theres very little room in their traditional arena for diversity and that the 911 and boxster cover well already so if they want to grow then they need to push elsewhere. the panamera is an extension of this.
how one feels about this from an emotional stand point is purely personal. i know many traditional owners hate it while many newcomers to the brand are glad its happened.

of topic i know but i test drove a cayenne turbo ( as it was the only model bareable imho) when my mum was looking at new cars (that pretty much sums it up really) and found it woeful in almost every aspect coming from a range rover.
bland inside, bland to drive and it certainly felt nothing like my 911 or any other ive been in either though why one would want an SUV that felt like driving a 911 is beyond me. The SUV market offers much more than the cayenne better suited to that use where you want, size, space, comfort, practicality, power (note power and not 0-60 drag times or top speed) luxury and off road abilities IMHO. My mum chose a range rover sport narrowly over an X5 (she finds my full size RR too large). the RR is way slower than the cayenne but its a much better SUV, heck even my navigator lux is ahead of the cayenne in terms of actual everyday useage but all this is not for this topic.

 

Porsche made bicycles and tractors also. Just because they made an SUV doesn't mean that their sole existence is sports cars. It's just what they are known best for. They made the 928 which was a departure back in the 70's and my GTS is a phenomenal car however it is not a sports car it is a GT and feels much more like the newer cars than it does my older 911's which IMO were the best cars for driving pleasure that Porsche made. The newer cars are very capable but no where near as much fun or involving to drive. IMO. This includes the GT2 which is a fun car but still not as exciting as my older turbo is to drive.

We are all allowed our differences of opinion. My B-in-law is on his 3rd RR which he loves and for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would buy one (then again I can't understand how my sister could have married him. LOL). I have tried to figure out what the allure is but just don't get it? I guess for some it is a nice ride, I am just being honest so please don't get offended but it feels as disconnected as my Chevy Avalanche, the motor is not bad but hardly responsive and although luxurious (Which I have no need for all the extras in a vehicle that is why I prefer the older 911's) it has more parts that break than work. At least his is in the shop more than on the road. I have owned Porsche's for nearly 30 years driven just about every model Porsche made and to say the CT doesn't feel like a Porsche is beyond me. I find it to serve many purposes from towing my track car better than the AV along with incredible handling in heavy snow. Makes a great vehicle for long ski trips hauls everything I need for my family on our ski weekends. Has taken us camping through rather rough terrain. It handles everything I throw at it like a champ.

Many people when test driving a CT just lug it along in tip mode which I do admit is a bit bland. If you manually shift a CT rev the engine and push it through the turns IMO it feels amazingly like a 911. Handling is far superior to any other SUV (I have driven almost all the BMW X5 is the closest) and rivals many sports cars and sedans. My CT can keep up with most 911's in the turns and is as fast as a 997S once on the move although a little slower from 0-60 not by much it is faster from 60 on up. We proved at our last AX event that the GTS can handle nearly as well as a GT3 RS in tight turns and has done very well on large open tracks. Simply amazing ability for such a large vehicle. There was a MB E63 that was at the last event. His normal AX car was out of commission so he took his DD. It lumbered through the turns, I was astonished how poorly it did compared to the Cayenne GTS

I agree it is not for everyone and like any vehicle you can like it or leave it. However, IMO it is as much a Porsche in capability and feel as any made and I for one am happy with my 4 years of ownership. I am looking forward to the next boundaries Porsche is willing to tackle and IMO conquer. Hell I would be ecstatic if they made a mid sized pickup that handled and performed like the Cayenne. This way I could have a work truck that was as exciting to drive as my other cars and still give me the ability to use it for my business needs.

 

no offence taken with any of it, that was a good post that i enjoyed reading. i agree whole heartedly with your thoughts on the RRs. there is no connection in terms of driving experience thats for sure but then i dont expect or demand there to be any in the same terms i would want from a performance car. the terms these are assesed by are greatly different for me atleast. passenger numbers, seating arrangements, luggage capacity, clearance, off road handling, comfort, features, towing ability, visibility would all be high on the list and missing entirely on any sports car i would look at.
i guess i personally am always left with the feeling that the cayenne has a bit of a personality crisis and ultimately ends up being a sort of flawed and rather large and heavy car in the end.. obviously sales figures disagree with me and so im not their target market in any way it would seem.

i guess we will have to agree to disagree on the feeling being similar to a 911. i cant see it myself, sitting so high up immediately changes the experience without going further into things like feel or the balance with engine hanging out behind you. ones a pure sports car and one ..well...isnt but thats not a detraction of the cayenne. it was never meant to be a 911 or compete with it for sales.

all of this is just my opinion though and each to their own. they are all cars from a fine manufacturer and so long as whatever one you have in your driveway puts a smile on your face who can argue with that. im certainly not about to beat a drum for any car thats for sure.

 

I am always interested in hearing other points of view. I find it interesting that you see the cayenne as having a personality crisis that is a new one. I guess that is a valid argument, although some say the glass is half empty I see it is half full. I find the cayenne takes driving an SUV to a new level. To me driving a Porsche is the feeling I get from behind the wheel. As my GTS is a totally different car than my 911's and my 944S2 was so far from driving my GTS not to mention 914's they all brought a connection to the road that I rarely get out of other marques. I hated the Cayenne when it first came out and if it wasn't for an issue I had with a BMW I probably would never have purchased one. But after driving one for 4 years I have grown to appreciate it for its many attributes.

It is the only large vehicle I actually want to drive fast into the turns. So although it doesn't have the rear weight bias and feels more like a C4 than a C2 it really pulls strong handles the turns and is connected to the road in a way that no other SUV is.

If someone is looking for a sports car I would not include the Cayenne in the list. Although as a vehicle that I need for days when a sports car won't do, the Cayenne does bring a smile to my face and so many times I find myself saying there "is no substitute" even though I am in a large vehicle. When I am up in Vermont on the back roads with all my ski gear and I want to enjoy the roads the CT allows me to do so, in much the same way a 911 or 928 does. If I had the Avalanche I would find myself saying I wish I had the CT. Down deep I wish I had the turbo but I wouldn't have my skis, family or be driving it in bad weather.

So for some like myself it is an alternative vehicle that fills the gaps especially in winter months that allows me to enjoy a performance vehicle and still carry a full load of stuff. I only have 3 in my family so the size is perfect.

I am actually quite interested in the Panamera and what it does for Porsche. Not sure if I will ever own one but you never know, I said I would never own a Cayenne when it first came out. I am up for any other vehicle they produce so long as it allows them to continue to build cars like the GT3 RS and GT2.

It will be interesting to see were their market heads and if enough cars are imported to the US or will we see more cars shipped to Russia and China.