Porsche may not be a large scale manufacturer, but still has a very large footprint for its sports cars, racing heritage and most importantly, an Automotive Icon. Porsche loyalists love and respect the brands purity in design, and unique character. This can be clearly seen with the slow and steady evolution of the 911 from the very beginning, rather than a revolution as seen in other manufacturers. The 911 is the only car that has been on sale for the past 4 decades and more. It may be a slow evolution of the model, but that is exactly what makes it a timeless machine, perfected in every minute detail with each generation.
Porsche also has a very strong influence and presence in the motor racing world. In fact, almost all cars that Porsche built are basically purpose-built racing machines. They have been victorious in almost all races they took part since the very beginning, especially in the Le Mans 24 hour races.
Even beyond Porsche fan base, Porsche enjoys a very premium image over the large public. Porsche is known throughout the world as a luxury car manufacturer.
At the same time, Porsche did take a radical step in manufacturing the Cayenne SUV. This car was a far cry from Porsche’s identity, and was immediately hated by Porsche loyalists. But if we look beyond Porsche’s image and identity, the Cayenne stayed true to Porsche’s DNA. It was the sportiest SUV ever, and drove more like a sports car, than a rugged mud plugger. This, indeed help Porsche a lot financially. The large sales of the Cayenne helped fund the Carrera GT concept, and that resulted in one of the best supercars of the decade. In addition, the sales of the Cayenne were so great that Porsche went on to become the most profitable car maker on earth.
In addition to all this, Porsche still makes the best handling roadster – The Boxter. This car has been constantly rated as the best handling car. The Cayman is a more upmarket Coupe version of the Boxter. They also make the 911 GT3, the most user friendly track day sports car. This car is what shows off what Porsche is capable of, and does best. Then there is the GT2, the more scary, and radical 2 wheel drive version of the 911 Turbo. Recently, they launched the Panamera – a 4 door fastback grand tourer. This car further enlarged Porsche’s market offerings. Though another radical step, the Panamera still stays true to Porsche DNA, and provides a very sporty and dynamic ride quality to 4 passengers. Thus, with a portfolio of all these great cars, Porsche truly is an iconic car manufacturer, with a very unique and identifiable image, character and attitude.
However, on the other scale, the recent relationship with Volkswagen has brought fear to Porsche enthusiasts. As VW group is very famous for sharing platforms with almost all their brands, there is a fear that Porsche will eventually lose its DNA, and uniqueness. This is still to be seen as the years progress, as there have been rumours of Porsches technology and platform to be used by other manufacturers. This includes a chance that the Panamera would provide underpinnings for an entry-level Bentley, a new Buggati sedan ans a super-premium Audi above the A8.
With the debut of the new 911 at Frankfurt, the upcoming launch of the 918 supercar hybrid, the rebirth of Porsche prototype racing and even the prospect of a new sub-Boxster 2-seater to complement an ever-widening product line, Porsche matters and will continue to do so for many years to come.
*Reference – Road and Track – [Online] available from <http://www.roadandtrack.com/column/porsche-matters>
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