Porsche Becomes Reliant On SUV For Sales - But Is That Altering The DNA Of the Brand?

Porsche Becomes Reliant On SUV For Sales - But Is That Altering The DNA Of the Brand?
The Porsche that whipped around the Le Mans race track over the weekend for the first time in 16 years was unlike most of the brand’s vehicles these days: The low-slung model was a sports car rather than a SUV.

As global demand for vehicles like the 911 stagnate, Porsche returned to the French sports-car race -- the world’s oldest -- yet failed to finish as technical issues forced it to pull out two hours before the checkered flag on Sunday. Still, the goal was less to win than to remind affluent buyers that the German brand remains focused on performance, even if the majority of the vehicles it sells are suited to shuttling kids and carrying groceries.

“It was a mistake to stop competing at the top rung of motor sport,” CEO Matthias Mueller, who took charge of the brand four years ago, said in an interview last week. “We are a sports-car maker and racing belongs to our brand.”


Read Article

scenicbyway12scenicbyway12 - 6/16/2014 11:32:23 AM
+3 Boost
Not now but it will. VW influence is going to hurt more than SUV's.


TheSteveTheSteve - 6/16/2014 12:13:34 PM
+1 Boost
There's a saying about living organisms in a changing environment: Adapt, migrate, or perish.

If the landscape transforms into one of abundant SUV consumption, and you're a sports car maker, you can adapt (start making SUVs), migrate (sell your sports cars in places where there's enough consumption to make it worth your while), or stick to your guns and perish if there aren't enough consumers buying what your currently make.

I respect Porsche, the company (though I don't own one or aspire to). I believe their SUVs are still true to what Porsche is. The Brand is just adapting to a changing environment, and doing it well, I may add.


GermanNutGermanNut - 6/16/2014 12:30:01 PM
+1 Boost
A growing model portfolio doesn't mean a changing brand DNA. The Cayenne and Macan maybe SUVs, but they retain the "everyday sports car" handling, driving dynamics and overall experience for SUVs just as the Porsche 911 does for the sports-car segment.

Porsche needed to introduce more models if it wanted to continue to exist and be profitable. At the end of the day, Porsche is a business that exists to create revenue and most importantly be profitable.

The Cayenne has proven and Macan likelly will prove to be extremely sound business decisions. After all, having an operating margin of 18% or $23,200 per vehicle sold is a lofty achievement to say the least.

It shouldn't come as a surprise though as Porsche took its "everyday sports car" DNA and infused it into three new segments (Panamera sedan, Cayenne large SUV and Macan small SUV).



MattDarringerMattDarringer - 6/16/2014 1:28:14 PM
+2 Boost
The Porsche DNA forever changed when the Cayenne showed up because it was no longer entirely a sports car brand. The Panamera added to the shift away from sports cars as did the Macan and the Cayenne coupe. The Cayenne happened because Porsche saw that sports cars would not sustain the company and they could have gone under had they not done a Hail Mary. Quite frankly, Porsche goes where the money is.


quizzquizz - 6/17/2014 4:15:23 PM
+1 Boost
The shift can further be seen with the conscientious refusal to include a manual stick shift for the GT3 just as an option!

I can see why Lambo would do it, but it's inexcusable for Porsche to do so.


MattDarringerMattDarringer - 6/16/2014 11:02:36 PM
+1 Boost
we're all pretending that made sense


quizzquizz - 6/17/2014 4:13:23 PM
+1 Boost
The reason Porsche pulled out was because they were flat broke in the early 90's. Porsche did 2 things to save money in the short term:
1. Convert to a cheaper lower quality water cooled engine architectures (this engine was a disaster in its first iteration, just search "rear main seal" (RMS) problems).
2. Pull out of factory racing, and limit investment in racing R&D
3.


Copyright 2026 AutoSpies.com, LLC