Your next Porsche may be half as special as you had hoped

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a sea of U.S. of Japanese cars, seeing a European car in Canada in the 1970s was something rare. Seeing a Porsche was even more special. But if the Volkswagen Group brand meets its sales goals, seeing a Porsche on the road won’t be so special in the future, by about half.

 

"By 2018, we will sell around 50,000 cars in the U.S.," Detlev von Platen, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, recently told Automotive News.

 

Last year, Porsche sold 25,320 vehicles south of the 49^th. In Canada, that number was a little over 2,000. And according to Porsche Canada, it’s planning on similar growth as its U.S. compadres.

 

Now if Porsche Canada meets that goal in 2012, it potentially will sell more cars than General Motors’ not-so-special Cadillac. And, as you may have already guessed, most of those extra sales won’t come from what made Porsche “Porsche”: i.e. sports cars.

 

Oh, for sure. There’ll be a new 911 Carrera arriving next spring, and yet another (GTS) version of the Panamera luxo-hatch. But most of Porsche's growth will be expected to come from a vehicle James Dean wouldn’t be caught dead in: a diesel Cayenne.

 

Then, in 2013, Porsche will launch its Cajun cute-ute, a crossover smaller than the Cayenne, seemingly targeted to aspiring trophy wives.

 

So while you may have bought into the Porsche brand because of its exclusivity, how do you feel about the German brand’s push for more volume?

 

Does selling boatloads of luxury cars and SUVs diminish the brand's special aura?

 

Or are you quite fine with the idea of a Porsche as a "people's car"?

 

Sources: Porsche Canada, Automotive News

Comments

[kevin fernandes]

I stopped reading after "In a sea of U.S. of Japanese cars".

[johnk]

Clearly the writer was not alive in the 70s.

[Sorin]

I don't see any Porsche being a people's car as long as the cheapest one is over 50,000. All Porsches are still special because of 911.

[Larry]

Well, you seem to have a problem with Porsche just being Porsche too (the 911), so what does it matter? Porsche might be doing well now but it needs to diversify to survive, and part of that is catering to people who want something that says Porsche but don't find the more echt-Porsche offerings practical.

But please, no new 914.

[RP]

Bring back the 944.
I'll take mine in red.

[Mike_boomer]

A piano teacher once said: If only those who deserve a grand piano buy grand pianos, then no one can afford a grand piano any more.

So let Porsche sell some money-making Cayennes (which are not real Porsches) so that they can continue to make real sports cars like the 911 etc for us.