If I were to give the automotive industry a letter grade for innovation, it would probably be somewhere along the lines of a C+. The truth is that the majority of automakers are too staid and, overall, the space is a laggard.
Sure, you have real innovators at the likes of Tesla and Mercedes-Benz but two or three companies does not make an industry.
Now here's a move — on the business strategy side — that really impressed me. Porsche's introduced the all-new Macan that has started to arrive at dealers. The problem? Demand is running high, too high. If you read
Agent 001's review of the Macan, you would quickly understand WHY there is a six to seven month delay from order to delivery.
In order to keep consumers interested, Porsche has announced that it is offering short-term leases to Macan buyers with a firm order. Not only does this keep their customers in brand, it also moves Boxster and Cayman units. Considering the two-seater space isn't exactly ripe at the moment, Porsche is essentially killing two birds with one stone.
Well done, Porsche. Well done.
This will be interesting to see the take rate because if someone's shopping for a Macan, they probably need the utility of a rear hatch and five seats.
...U.S. buyers of the Macan, which went on sale in May, face a wait of more than six months for delivery, Detlev von Platen, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, said at a media event here.
But that presents a problem for Porsche and its dealers: How to ease disappointment for the waiting Macan buyer? The answer: Very short-term leases on other Porsches -- Boxster or Cayman sports cars -- to bridge the wait for the vehicle the customer really wants. The open-ended leases run until the buyer's Macan arrives, whether that's six months or more...
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