When the Porsche Cayenne sport utility vehicle was first introduced, it was greeted with howls of disapproval from many traditional sports-car enthusiasts. There was something antithetical--heretical even--about one of the world's greatest marques so obsequiously kowtowing to such a commercial trend. Porsche, after all, had made its name creating fast, fun and demanding coupes. Wasn't it still one of the most-profitable carmakers in the world? Why did they need an SUV? What next, a minivan?
The Cayenne hit sales floors in 2003 and, despite grumblings from certain sectors, it was an instant hit, selling nearly 13,000 cars in its debut year. There were several reasons for its initial success: It was available with an automatic transmission--not just with the less-forgiving manual that controlled the 911 and Boxster. It was an SUV, and at that time, when gasoline was less expensive than now, SUVs were still wildly popular. It was new--and a certain percentage of the car-buying population cannot resist being the first on their block to own the latest thing. And lastly, it was a Porsche.
What we mean by that is that Porsche spent a lot of time and money trying to transfer its design and performance aesthetic from its famous coupes to an SUV. The headlights and grill had the same cross-eyed potato look for which its cars are famous. The ignition is still on the left--a design cue peculiar to Porsche from the days when drivers in the famous French endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans would have to run to their cars; the idea was that having a left-hand ignition would make it easier for a racer to start, because his right hand would already be on the gearshift, the so-called "Le Mans Start." Similarly, the interior evokes the clean style and leather-clad luxury of the rest of the Porsche fleet.
What it also does, happily, is drive like a Porsche. More or less. Naturally, no SUV will ever have the same kind of blistering speed or road handling of a coupe; the laws of physics prevent that. But the Cayenne, especially the Turbo version, is far and away the most fun we've ever had driving an SUV.
Apparently others think so too. Though maybe not as much as they once had. Since the Cayenne was introduced, more than 46,000 have sold in the U.S. But sales have slipped 24.9% from 2004 to 2005, with only 13,607 units selling last year. And sales are down for the first two months of this year as well. Part of the reason is the general trend against SUVs--SUV sales have been down across the board for all carmakers--but it also may have to do with the fact that, as it enters its fourth sales cycle, the Cayenne is no longer the popular new kid on the block. (Porsche spokesmen would not comment on whether a redesign was in the works.)
In fact, while Porsche saw a 1.5% increase in overall U.S. sales in 2005, that was largely due to stronger sales of the Boxster (up 124%) and the 911 (up 5%). And that success seems to be replicating itself so far in 2006, thanks to the strong debut of the new, midengine, $58,900 Cayman S, with 1,561 models sold so far this year, as well as a continued rise in 911 sales.
Yet even though the Cayenne may no longer be Porsche's fair-haired boy, that is no reason to disregard it. This is a hell of a car. To find out why, read on.