Cayenne and Panamera Help Boost Porsche Sales by 86.4% Compared to Previous Quarter

Even in this harsh economical climate, Porsche sales continue to grow, as the German maker shifted 21,218 units in the first three months of the 2010 short fiscal year (August 1 – December 31). That's an impressive 86.4% growth compared to the same period last year, although Porsche management admits that the prior-year quarter was "relatively weak", so a higher growth rate was expected.

Revenue amounted to €2.06 billion (+80.3%), while the company's operating result reached €395 million for the same three month period.

The new Cayenne fared particularly well with 10,292 units sold (+151%), followed by the Panamera with 5,778 vehicles and a growth rate of 94%. The success of the 4-door coupe is due to the fact that last year it wasn't available on all markets and the six-cylinder model went on sale in May 2010. The 911's sales were also up, reaching 3,130 units (+20.4%), while the Boxster with 1,089 and Cayman with 929 vehicles remained the least coveted Porsches.

The Americas lead in terms of regional sales, up by 82% and totaling 7,268 units, of which 6,632 went to North America. Europe is close behind (7,082), while Asia and the rest of the world are third (6,868), albeit with the biggest growth rate (126%), fueled by the strong demand in China.

"We can be satisfied with the key indicators of the first three months. Porsche AG is continuing on a profitable growth course" said Matthias Müller, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG.

"Due to the order intake worldwide in the past few months, we expect a good double-digit return on sales in the short fiscal year from August to December 2010. With this current order situation, we also anticipate a good start to the new fiscal year 2011" Lutz Meschke, member of Porsche AG's executive board in charge of finance and procurement, added.

Porsche's sales growth also helped create new jobs, with the company currently employing 13,043 people, a 2.5% increase over July 2010.

By Csaba Daradics

SpeedART Develops TITAN EVO bodykit for the Porsche Cayenne

At this week's Essen Motor Show, SpeedART will present a new bodykit called the TITAN EVO, which will be available for all second-generation Cayenne models, including the hybrid. In addition, there are also going to be a host of other mods available, such as mechanical and interior upgrades.

The TITAN EVO bodykit adds new front and rear bumpers, widened wheel arches and lowered side skirts. Furthermore, the German tuner replaced the standard exhaust with a twin-pipe system featuring a sound control on the hybrid and the Cayenne Turbo-based versions. Engineers didn't forget about the Cayenne Diesel, which can be also fitted with a sport exhaust system, albeit without the sound switch.

The Germans really went overboard with the wheels, offering 23-inch forged alloys, shod in ultra-wide 315/25 tires. They used special forging techniques, which make the over-sized alloys lighter than their cast 21-inch counterparts.

If more power is your game, SpeedART offers an extensive range of upgrades. Starting with the diesel model, the V6's output is lifted by 50 hp and 70 Nm (52 lb-ft).

As previously reported, the Cayenne S Hybrid gets +70 hp and +50 Nm (37 lb-ft), for a maximum output of 450 hp and 630 Nm (465 lb-ft). It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.9 seconds, same as the V8-powered Cayenne S.

Last but not least, the Turbo can be ordered with 550, 570 or 600 horsepower.

Clients who specified the stock Cayenne with air suspension can opt for a speedART electronic lowering module, while the conventional suspension can be upgraded with sport springs and coil-overs.

By consulting with the customers, speedART says it can modify the interior of the car to match almost any wish. But to give them an idea of what can be done, the car displayed at the Essen Motor Show will have sport seats with carbon fiber shells and special interior colors, alongside a rear-seat entertainment system with integrated iPad and iPhone docking station.

By Csaba Daradics

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Porsche Announces U.S. Pricing and Availability for Cayenne S Hybrid

The Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid will go on sale in the U.S. this November, with prices starting from $67,700, excluding destination charges. Rated by the EPA at 21 mpg in the city (11.2 lt/100 km) and 25 mpg on the highway (9.4 lt/100 km), the Cayenne S Hybrid will not be subject to a gas-guzzler tax, as is the case with all other 2011 Cayenne models.

To achieve such relatively low consumption figures, while nearly equaling in performance the 400 hp (298 kW) V8 Cayenne S, the hybrid variant of the firm's SUV makes use of a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 gasoline engine, capable of delivering 333 hp (or 248 kW), and a 47-horsepower (34 kW) electric motor. The latter is able to power the German SUV at low speeds and for short distances, so you can minimize fuel consumption in heavy traffic.

Interaction between the motors is governed by the Hybrid Manager, which uses a decoupling clutch to power the car by either the electric motor or the combustion engine alone, or by both drive units together.

The hybrid system's combined output is rated at 380 hp (279 kW) with a peak torque of 428 lb-ft (580 Nm) delivered at just 1,000 rpm.

Performance is equally good, as the Cayenne S Hybrid can reach 60 mph (96 km/h) from standstill in just 6.1 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h).

By Csaba Daradics

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Porsche is Reducing Fuel Consumption with every New Model it Introduces

No manufacturer, not even performance orientated Porsche, can ignore the "green wave" that has hit the automotive industry. With hybrids and EVs becoming increasingly popular, it's clear that sports cars have to step it up a notch.

It doesn't really matter to pencil-pushing government officials that, in the real world, high performance vehicles aren't driven as much, so, in the overall scheme of things, they actually pollute a lot less than your suburban folk's Prius. They just want to see numbers.

So, Porsche is going greener with each new model it is launching, the Cayenne being the vanguard of this effort. The Germans achieved significant fuel savings in the New European Driving Cycle (or NEDC), ranging from 13 to 23% for all available model series in comparison with their predecessors. This means all Porsches using naturally aspirated engines consume 0.5 to 0.6 less liters of fuel per 100 km.

The Stuttgart firm's engineers achieved this by switching over to direct fuel injection and adopting newer transmissions like the PDK dual-clutch auto and the Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic. Other measures taken to make Porsche as green as ever are massive weight savings (i.e. 185 kg/408 lbs for the new Cayenne Turbo) - and we'll be seeing more of that in future models.

The 911 Carrera with PDK consumes only 9.8 lt/100 km (24 US mpg), while the Boxster S and the Cayman S do with 9.4 liters per 100km (25 US mpg).

The Cayenne is even more frugal, with the Cayenne S Hybrid really shining on this task. Good for a total output of 380 hp (283 kW), Porsche's hybrid is almost as powerful as the previous generation Cayenne S (385 hp/287 kW), yet it returns a combined 8.2 lt/100 km (28.7 US mpg) representing a 40% gain in fuel economy with CO2 emissions of 200 g/km. Wealthy tree-huggers rejoice.

By Csaba Daradics

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TechArt Teases New 2011 Porsche Cayenne Magnum

Having sold more than 1,000 units of its first-generation Porsche Cayenne Magnum models, it's only natural for German tuning house TechArt to develop a successor based on the freshly launched second-generation Cayenne. Teased here for the first time, TechArt's new Magnum program for the 2011 Cayenne will be given its world premiere at the Auto Zurich Car Show in Switzerland, which runs from November 11 to 14.

The tuning program will include a full body kit with a new front bumper that includes LED daytime running lights and additional xenon units, a carbon fiber hood, rear apron, side skirts, wider fenders and a roof spoiler. The sport exhaust tail pipes and newly designed alloy wheels in sizes between 20- and 23-inches will complete the exterior package.

For the interior, TechArt will offer customers a variety of options ranging from bespoke leather upholstery and unique three-spoke steering wheels to roof-mounted entertainment kit.

The aftermarket tuner is also preparing a host of performance enhancements with engine kits plus suspension and braking system upgrades. Specific details will be released after the presentation of TechArt's Magnum program at the Swiss auto show.

New Porsche Small SUV Confirmed by VW Group CEO, Says it May be Called "Cajun"

According to Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn himself, there's a new baby Cayenne in the works. In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Winterkorn said Porsche "will get a new SUV, a smaller brother to the Cayenne which might be named Cajun."

I guess the name is appropriate if Porsche insists on spicing up its lineup with controversial vehicles. Should this be the case, can we expect the Panamera coupe to be called the Tabasco? Or perhaps the Texas Pete? Name game in the comments below.

As for the ragin' Cajun, why would Porsche bother building it at all? For the same reason that it's said to be building a new entry-level VW-based roadster: to piss off purists and elitists alike.

Well, actually, it's because Porsche is now controlled by VW, and the people's car manufacturer can and will do anything to help attain its lofty sales goals of 150,000 Porsche models sold (in the "medium" term).

A new Porsche cute ute will do just that, and will also help spread out some of the Q5's development costs. If this little sports car SUV does make it to production, it'll probably just be a smaller version of the Cayenne (which shares its platform with the latest Touareg). If true, that's a shame.

...deep breath...

It's a shame because a small 5-door SUV is exactly what's expected, and Porsche doesn't seem crazy enough to put out more than one version (double-dog dare to you, Porsche).

If Stuttgart's fastest were to go a little zany, though, could we recommend a three-door SUV variant (with an emphasis on the sport) to tackle the Range Rover Evoque? Clearly Land Rover is willing to commit to a unique new segment, so why not Porsche?

By Phil Alex

Source: Autoweek

*Opening Photo: Sketch of current generation Cayenne SUV

Porsche Cayenne 902 Coupe by Merdad to Debut at London's MPH Show

It was announced today that the grand unveiling of the new 3 door Cayenne 902 Coupe and its somewhat less intriguing 5 door brethren from UK-based tuning house Merdad, which we first told you about in June, will take place at the MPH The Prestige & Performance Motor Show in November.

Both the 3-door and 5-door variants are based off the second-generation Porsche Cayenne SUV and come with a variety of styling and performance upgrades with output ranging between 550 and 750-horsepower, depending on the level of tune. The most potent version is said to sprint from 0 to 60mph (96km/h) in 4.4 seconds. Full details on the specifications and extras are to be released at the MPH Show.

The British tuning firm responsible for the Cayenne Coupe is owned by a man who we only get to know by the name (or surname) "Merdad". On the company's website it is noted that he previously worked with Uwe Gemballa for five years before opening his own tuning shop.

Here's what founder and creator Merdad stated about the tuned Cayenne SUVs: "We are very proud that this creation has brought together many British engineers and designers who have contributed to bringing this fantastic beast to the table."

"We now feel the time is right to unveil the Merdad Cayenne 902 Coupe and the Merdad 5 door to the world at MPH and are excited to see what the visitors to the show think of its unique design and unbelievable power will truly set the show and the rest of the world alight," he added.

As always, there are two MPH shows, with the first featuring Top Gear Live to take place at Earls Court from November 4-7th and second one at the NEC in Birmingham between November 11-14th.