Was the Cayenne a mistake?

As ugly and as unnecessary as the Cayenne seems to be, it has been a sales success for Porsche. It is not overly large by SUV standards, just take a look at an MB GL450 or the Audi Q7 both much larger and selling very well. When you get to the ridiculous size of something like an Infinity QX56 or Toyota Land Cruiser, then yes I would agree, interest is waining.

I really think Porsche needs to dump the "hard core" 4wd power train and concentrate on making it more of a road going vehicle. I think it would lighten the load and improve handling without affecting (hurting)sales. I don't think many buyers are taking them to the "outback". They don't even come with the proper tires to do so. Why carry all the weight of a 4wd transfer case, locking differentials and so on. Just put a nice AWD system in it and call it good.

After owning 14 Porsches (not to mention lots of BMW's, Mercedes and yes, even a Ferrari) I can honestly say that I'm a pretty good one to judge if my Cayenne was a mistake or not. I was completely opposed to the idea of it when I heard about it. However, a friend of mine who has actually won Le Mans said that it was the best sports car he had ever driven. At that point, how could I not drive one and once I did, I bought one. Furthermore, I'm trading my 2005 Cayenne S for a 2008 Cayenne S. As with every Porsche I've owned, I thought they couldn't make it any better. Then, they did just that. The new 2008 is dramatically better looking and the new 400Hp v8 is awesome. So for you Porsche hating Toyota drivers, take it from someone that can afford one, who has spent the last 30 years as an exotic car owner and racing instructor, who can actually find his posterior with either hand (unlike several of the morons that write in), The Cayenne is awesome. And by the way, it tows like no SUV on the market today.

hahah..thats funny

The pro's and con's of the Cayenne could be debated for an eternity. While it does not interest me as much as a 911 does I still think it is a good choice for those who want space and Porsche performance, etc. The bottom line: the Cayenne has been very profitable for Porsche/Audi and VW since they all share the same platform, Porsche remains the last independant sports car maker in the world and the most profitable automaker and very clearly still focuses on it's core values. Mr. Lorenzo's commentary matches the title of his website "Auto Extremeist."

Yes, it’s a mistake. It does not matter how “sporty” the SUV performance is, it take the same speed to roll over when it hits a curb! Enough said!

It's only a mistake if there was another choice to be made. For Porsche to remain both successful and independent they needed more volume which the Cayenne has provided.

I say, success should be determined by the days supply of them sitting on a dealers lot, and if the manufacturer has to "skip" a model year.
Hmmm...so is the Cayanne a success now??...I know it was out of the gate.

I see at least a half a dozen of Cayenne's everyday driving around Irvine and Newport Beach & Coast, Ca.

It's just like the R-Class and I see dozens of them daily, but not in St. Louis where the average car is a Ford or GM and the Dodge Stratus.

California is the import capital of the world, no doubt!

Hey EL34, I live in Saint Louis, I dont drive a ford, gm, or stratus. Stop stereotyping. Midwest=Hillbilly

In fact, today I saw my first Audi S6 roaming the streets (which, by the way, I had no idea those LEDs would stand out so much. Theyre polarizing) and last week I saw a Phantom creeping around my suburbs. So youre wrong, because every US city has the cars you listed, but we only notice the cool ones)

Chip, I've driven from Kansas City thru St. Louis and onto Southern Illinois a few times and I noticed the lack of imports when compared to where I live.

I mean I could sit at a light at Irvine Blvd. and Culver Drive which is right near my home and I could count a 20 or more BMW's and Benz's driving thru the intersection.

We are the import capital of the world!!

Chip

Welcome to the "I have seen the Audi S6 with its LEDs" club. Quite a first impression, isn't it?

How did FDR/Truman handle the Kamikaze attacks during WWII.

So what's the difference between then and now, I ask you?

It's certainly not a mistake since it accounts for 40% of the company's sales!!! It has been an enormous success with nearly 150k Cayennes sold. If this profitable vehicle can help Porsche remain independant and fund further sportscar development, I am all for it!

That's exactly what I think. The Cayenne is a small price to pay if it means Porsche survives as an independent auto-maker.

The Porsche legacy is one of engineering excellence, not necessarily making sports cars. That's why Porsche has dabbled in everything from economy cars (the VW beetle) to tractors. The sport cars are only one of the ways Porsche engineering is commercialized. The Cayenne is a very well engineered vehicle that happens to be one of most profitable products.

So, maybe they should have spun off another name (ALA Lexus, Infiniti, Acura) for the "non sports-car" division of Porsche?
That might be a good idea.
What would you call Porsche trucks ??? ...... I know: Prucks! :)

Let's get one thing straight about Porsche...

Porsche is a publicly traded company - therefore a better "bottom-line" for the shareholders means chasing demand...

... and chasing demand means building an SUV.

Was the Cayenne a mistake? Of course not - look at the sales for the Cayenne vis-a-vis other Porsche models.

Shareholders don't give a sh!t about exclusivity!

If doubling your sales a mistake then yes the Cayenne is a mistake.

"It's just like the R-Class and I see dozens of them daily, but not in St. Louis where the average car is a Ford or GM and the Dodge Stratus."

EL34, SHUT UP ALREADY.

All you do is brag! Brag, brag, brag!

"Oh, you hicks in the midwest all drive Dodge Stratuses. WE are better than you because we lease Mercedes C-Classes for $70/mo."

I have a nephew who lives in Santa Monica. Guess what? I'm richer than him. It's actually possible, as hard as that is for you to believe!

I think what EL is probably trying to say, since I live in the same area (I think) is that California in general has high overall import penetration...Toyotas, Hondas, etc...I know that statistical data supports that. On top of that Orange County, or parts of it anyway, does have a lot of wealth, as well as a lot of pretenders, but the daily car sightings are great if you are a car nut.

EL is a typical Yuppie. We tend to have alot of those in NY as well.

I did know that.

As well as here in Chicago. You can't imagine how many poser 525's I see roaming the streets of downtown every day.

Porsche is brilliant.
Take a VW Touareg, change the bodywork very slightly (apparently not for the better) so even the doors still interchange, reducing costs. Then put in a Porsche engine, seats, and "Porsche paint" for a cost increment of ... $2k ? but jack the price $20k.
Brilliant. They're laughing all the way to the bank.

The other ones laughing are the guys driving the VW Touareg with the V-10 TDI ... fastest SUV short of the Cayenne Turbo, designed by Porsche, best gas mileage, and it will outlast all the others too.

Way better interior too I think..stylewise at least.

The Cayenne was a mistake. I dont care how much of a success it is with sales. Porsche is a sports car maker. Would Ferrari make a SUV(I know porsche is not as exotic)? No!!!

it's a mistake... me buying one was a mistake too, but they did do a good job of marketing the product here in Vancouver, they are everywhere.

Irregardless of wether of not you think this SUV is/was a mistake, it is by far the most thrilling SUV I've ever driven. The ride and handling of this SUV is an engineering feat no doubt. It gives you a sense of security and comfort that the 911 lacks as well.

The new Cayenne, in person, is actually a huge improvement.

If you'd like to see, I have a picture of one from the Chicago auto show:

/Users/quattro91292/Desktop/IMG_0900.JPG

Hey,

not to beat a dead horse but I moved from St Louis about 6 years ago and can remember when a Boxster was considered an exotic car in that city by many.
Very conservative place to say the least. Not that there's little money there because there is, plenty of it. They just don't flaunt it like so many places on the coasts. There are also no exotic car dealers in St Louis. They lost the Ferrari franchise decades ago. You have to go to Springfield MO of all places if you want to service or buy a new Lamborghini. The only thing even remotely close is a new Bentley store in Chesterfield. No RR, Maybach, Lotus, Maserati, nothing. Kinda sucked being a car guy in that town. Glad I moved.

I love the Cayenne (looks are so-so) but I didn't buy it because it's not big enough! I have four kids.