Two vehicles that are sure to make Porsche purists groan are the Cayenne SUV, and to a lesser degree, the Panamera. The Panamera is the newest addition to the Porsche lineup, and it wasn’t met with an exactly positive reaction by the automotive press.
And that wasn’t just due to the fact that it had four-doors. Much of the ire was directed toward the car’s styling. Surely, it must be a failure then? Uh, not exactly. Enthusiasts aren’t always the best gauge of a car’s success in the marketplace at large – most consumers have a far different agenda.
As such, despite a near-universal criticism of BMW’s Chris Bangle-designed vehicles, those cars sold better than ever before. Porsche’s Panamera looks to be defying the critics as well, here and abroad.
Ironically, the two best-selling vehicles in Porsche’s portfolio are the Cayenne and Panamera. The Panamera overtook the Cayenne in sales briefly earlier in the year, but that was just for a little bit as consumers held off on buying the outgoing Cayenne. The 2011 Cayenne looks to be a hit for Porsche, with sales up strongly.
For the first quarter of the 2011 fiscal year (August 1st to December 311st) Porsche sold 21,218 units globally. That unit figure is up 86.4% over the dismal 2010 figures. Revenue is also up significantly, by 80.3 percent, and the company posted a staggering operating profit of $526 million.
The Cayenne led with 10,292 examples sold, up 151% and the Panamera came in second with 5,778 units sold, up 94%. The 911 saw an increase in sales as well, up 20.4% to 3,130 cars. The mid-engined Boxster and Cayman trail with 1,089 and 929 examples sold, respectively.
Panamera sales are up significantly due to widespread availability and the addition of a cheaper V-6 model (to the tune of $15,400 less) added to the lineup late in the year. The Panamera sold 22,518 models in its first full year on the market, which counts as a definite success in a difficult economy.
That number will likely be on the increase for the car’s second year, as a stronger market for luxury cars and availability of new models like a V-6 and hybrid drive sales. What’s next for Porsche? Hopefully a new sports car – rumors of a production 918 Spyder are swirling.
