Crown

Stuttgart. The Executive Board at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has given the go-ahead: from February 2009, the sports car manufacturer will offer a Cayenne with a diesel engine and thus extend its range of drives for the sporty all-terrain vehicle further, once again. This decision was taken in response to changed legal regulations especially in European markets, resulting in tax incentives for vehicles with diesel engines. Furthermore, Porsche's stake in the Volkswagen Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of modern diesel engines for passenger cars, has opened up new opportunities to utilise diesel technology.

Porsche will equip the Cayenne with a three-litre V6 turbo diesel engine with 240 hp (176 kW) supplied by Audi AG, a subsidiary of the VW Group. The average consumption of the Cayenne Diesel is 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres, with CO2 at 244 grams per kilometre. The spontaneous throttle response and the high torque characteristics of this diesel engine deliver the required performance levels for a sporty all-terrain vehicle such as the Cayenne. The substantial torque of a maximum of 550 Newton metres complements the sporty chassis dynamics and provides a high degree of control to offer driving enjoyment that is typical of Porsche.

In response to customer demand, the new Cayenne model will initially be offered in Europe. Preparations for market introduction in other countries are underway.

The Porsche Executive Board is confident that it will maintain the long term market success of the Cayenne series in the long term with the low-consumption V6 turbo diesel. In the last financial year 2007/08, 45,478 units of this series (which currently incorporates five different models) were sold - more than ever before in a financial year.

With the introduction of the Cayenne Diesel, Porsche is consistently continuing its commitment to reduce fuel consumption. As early as Spring 2007, the sports car manufacturer had equipped the new generation of the Cayenne series with engines with petrol direct injection that consume up to 15 percent less fuel in real-world driving conditions. Since the summer of 2008, Porsche has also offered the most recent generation of the 911 series with direct-injection petrol engines. The sports car manufacturer is also working on another Cayenne variant with hybrid drive that will consume less than nine litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and will be launched onto the market at the end of the decade.

The new Cayenne with diesel drive will be available from dealers from February 2009 onwards. Equipped with the proven Tiptronic-S automatic gearbox as standard, the Euro base price will be EUR 47,250. In Germany, the Cayenne with diesel engine including 19 percent VAT and country-specific equipment costs EUR 56,436.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor 997 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo S, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW

Online now with all technichal specs:  http://www.porsche.com/germany/models/cayenne/cayenne-diesel/featuresandspecs/

 0-100: 8.3s (almost 2s slower and EUR 10k more expensive than Audi Q5 with the same engine). 

neunelf:

Online now with all technichal specs:  http://www.porsche.com/germany/models/cayenne/cayenne-diesel/featuresandspecs/

 0-100: 8.3s (almost 2s slower and EUR 10k more expensive than Audi Q5 with the same engine). 

Yes, but can't you say this about Q5 compared to Q7 or Touareg with the same engines? Some people (myself included) will prefer the smaller Q5, others will go for the bigger ones.

If you buy a diesel SUV 0-100 is not a priority IMO. It is more about cruising ability, space and "status".

Spyderidol:
I understand all the political and business reasons why a diesel Porsche is a good idea, but on an emotional level, this is very sad day for me.

I see your point, but the big step was for Porsche producing a SUV.

Whether it has  anaemic (for the weight)  3.2lt (cayenne.1)/3.6lt (Cayenne.2)  Benzin engines or a 3.0 Diesel is not very important anymore.

I thought the only reason why the GT-R is so fast is the massive computer-system that does correct the flaws of the car.

Hearing that the car is boring with TC off really did change my mind on that one.

Besides, saying that the car is faster but more boring is a mute argument. If you follow it to the end, you should remove your brakes, which makes every car pretty exciting (but slower and more dangerous)

I don't understand Porsche. Honestly, I don't. The Cayenne is almost dead in my opinion and the reason is simple: Porsche marketing department has failed to provide a good press for this car, letting a lot of people in a lot of magazines and newspapers make the Cayenne look bad. In Germany, the Cayenne is actually the synonyme for a dirty, fuel-inefficient monster which also could kill other people in crashes due to its heavy weight.

I'm surprised that the german press didn't blame the Cayenne for the Iraq war.

Now offering a Diesel engine won't make things better, on the contrary. 240 HP in such a heavy car is no fun at all, whoever buys this must be nuts.

There was actually a rumor of two Cayenne Diesel models coming but apparently Porsche is re-considering. The only Diesel engine making sense in the Cayenne would be the V10 Diesel of the Touareg or better, the V12 Power Diesel of the Q7 with 500 HP.

If somebody would give me 70000 EUR for my 2007 Cayenne Turbo S with only 30000 km, I would sell this car immediately. Not because I don't like it or because it isn't good but I'm sick of people coming to me or my wife and telling us almost each and every day how "bad" this car is, making you actually ashamed of driving it. Great marketing coup, Porsche AG!

A Diesel engine won't save the Cayenne. What the Cayenne needs is less weight, maybe even a new name and it needs to look a bit more streamlined like the Q7 or the new BMW X6. The new Audi Q5 is a beauty, I saw one just recently and I almost had the chance to drive it. With the right engine(Audi is rumored to offer a Q5 S or RS with a ~ 340 HP V8 engine), this could be a real treat.

With the introduction of the Panamera, the Cayenne will have even more trouble selling.

Give it a new name, make it look more sporty(Porsche-like), give it less weight, at least one hybrid engine to shut up critics and provide a very fuel effective low HP Diesel at the lower side and a monster superduper power version at the upper side. Everybody will be happy.

Don't judge the Cayenne based on what people think in Germany.

This car is a hit in places(markets) where no other Porsche would have had a chance of registering sales.

Also the reason for diesel in the case of Porsche is to lower consumption and emissions, so they wouldn't install a huge engine for this purpose.

VW/Audi developed these big diesels for "diesel image" i.e. in order to sell lots of TDIs on their normal models. Porsche doesn't need a halo model diesel.

Maybe you can excuse the Cayenne as it was developed in very different times. Not so the brand new Panamera; if it weighs in at 2 tons I wonder if Porsche has become better in managing money than building economic cars that are fun to drive.

I love Porsche and if I can afford it, I will always own at least one Porsche model. In the past, I was easily able to identify myself with the brand Porsche. When Porsche announced the Cayenne, I was actually pretty happy about a Porsche SUV, especially since I was already driving a Mercedes ML55 AMG at that time, one of the first "Power-SUV" on the market.

The ML55 AMG was fun to drive and pretty fast but I imagined that a Porsche SUV would be some sort of off-road sportscar, talking of being naive.

When Porsche came up with the specs of the Cayenne Turbo, I was impressed with the power figure, even if I expected a little bit more. What shocked me was the weight. A Porsche with a weight of aprox. 2.5 tons? Ouch.

So I decided against the Cayenne, despite a very pleasant and impressive testdrive and went for the Mercedes E55 AMG as a family car instead. After a while, I realized that the E55 AMG had a wonderful engine but it took some serious money to officially(!) have AMG raise the speed limit to 300 kph and to install a limited slip differential incl. a different shifting software. The E55 AMG was fun that way but it was also boring in a certain way.

Only after 8 months or so, I decided to go for the Cayenne Turbo instead and I never regretted it. Many people told me that the Cayenne isn't a real Porsche and I couldn't agree more...if it comes to weight and fuel efficiency.

When it comes to driving fun, the Cayenne is fun but never make the mistake to go for the Cayenne S or even the V6 because the fun lies in the excessive horse power with the twin turbo engine. The new Cayenne GTS may be a sportsman on the paper and it may have slightly better track times due to the refined suspension setup but the GTS is another good example of clever Porsche marketing of how to improve sales of a "dying" model.

Fact is: the Cayenne is a Porsche, it has been developed by Porsche and as far as rumors go, Porsche received around 200 Mio. EUR from Volkswagen for the development of the Touareg. Apparently a lot of people think it is the other way around but it isn't.

I remember I visited Weissach a couple of years ago and met two VW engineers at the entrance office where you get your security access badge. I talked to them for a couple of minutes and due to the fact that they apparently thought I was working for Porsche, they told me that they are involved in Touareg development. I was surprised to hear that because they were also waiting with me for a security clearance. Then one of them told me that all VW engineers and employees working on the Touareg project had a seperate office outside Weissach. I was surprised to hear that, apparently Porsche didn't even let their development partner have an office at Weissach directly. Interesting.

I love my Cayenne Turbo S, it is the perfect family car for a Porsche nut like me. Unfortunately the public perception of this car over here in Germany is very bad, I think I told this to you guys many many times before.

The Panamera is a similar story: I may go for the Panamera if I succeed in selling the Cayenne Turbo S, I may even consider getting the Panamera as my only Porsche if my financial situation doesn't allow me to keep my 997 Turbo AND to drive a Porsche family car. The problem is, I don't like the Panamera too much right now. I saw it, it isn't really looking as good as I expected(matter of taste of course), the  interior reminds me slightly of Vertu phones(it is nice but somehow optically overloaded) and what worries me most is the excessive weight, especially of the Turbo model(~ 2-2.1 tons).

Of course, even at 2 tons weight, the Panamera Turbo will be a blast to drive with the new improved PASM/PTM and the 500 HP engine. Still: I can get the same fun if I buy a BMW M5 and I may even get a Boxster for weekend fun for the price difference between both.

Yes, I love Porsche but I won't pay any price for a Porsche car, especially since Porsche started and will increase using the possible synergy effects both in production and parts management they got with getting control of VW and therefore Audi/Lamborghini too.

I don't have a final price tag for the Panamera yet but if my sources are right, the Panamera Turbo will be in the Cayenne Turbo range and this is a bit too much for me.

At some point, I was Porsche's ideal customer, owning a 997 Turbo for myself, a Boxster S for my wife and driving a Cayenne Turbo S as a family car. The perfect Porsche "family". I don't think that Porsche is going to see many ideal customers in the future anymore, simply because their cars are too expensive and the competition offers too many alternatives which are even substantially cheaper. The best example is the BMW M3 Cab DKG my wife drives. We really wanted to get a 997 Carrera FL Cab PDK instead but despite the 25000 EUR price difference, there also wasn't enough leg room for our 8 year old daugther in the rear of the 997 Cab.

A SUV at 2.5 ton weight I could understand, even if I expected something different from a manufacturer like Porsche. It needs to be rigid and it needs to support a lot of stress, I somehow understand.

A sports limousine at 2.1 tons I do not understand.

RC:

I love Porsche and if I can afford it, I will always own at least one Porsche model. In the past, I was easily able to identify myself with the brand Porsche. When Porsche announced the Cayenne, I was actually pretty happy about a Porsche SUV, especially since I was already driving a Mercedes ML55 AMG at that time, one of the first "Power-SUV" on the market.

The ML55 AMG was fun to drive and pretty fast but I imagined that a Porsche SUV would be some sort of off-road sportscar, talking of being naive.

When Porsche came up with the specs of the Cayenne Turbo, I was impressed with the power figure, even if I expected a little bit more. What shocked me was the weight. A Porsche with a weight of aprox. 2.5 tons? Ouch.

So I decided against the Cayenne, despite a very pleasant and impressive testdrive and went for the Mercedes E55 AMG as a family car instead. After a while, I realized that the E55 AMG had a wonderful engine but it took some serious money to officially(!) have AMG raise the speed limit to 300 kph and to install a limited slip differential incl. a different shifting software. The E55 AMG was fun that way but it was also boring in a certain way.

Only after 8 months or so, I decided to go for the Cayenne Turbo instead and I never regretted it. Many people told me that the Cayenne isn't a real Porsche and I couldn't agree more...if it comes to weight and fuel efficiency.

When it comes to driving fun, the Cayenne is fun but never make the mistake to go for the Cayenne S or even the V6 because the fun lies in the excessive horse power with the twin turbo engine. The new Cayenne GTS may be a sportsman on the paper and it may have slightly better track times due to the refined suspension setup but the GTS is another good example of clever Porsche marketing of how to improve sales of a "dying" model.

Fact is: the Cayenne is a Porsche, it has been developed by Porsche and as far as rumors go, Porsche received around 200 Mio. EUR from Volkswagen for the development of the Touareg. Apparently a lot of people think it is the other way around but it isn't.

I remember I visited Weissach a couple of years ago and met two VW engineers at the entrance office where you get your security access badge. I talked to them for a couple of minutes and due to the fact that they apparently thought I was working for Porsche, they told me that they are involved in Touareg development. I was surprised to hear that because they were also waiting with me for a security clearance. Then one of them told me that all VW engineers and employees working on the Touareg project had a seperate office outside Weissach. I was surprised to hear that, apparently Porsche didn't even let their development partner have an office at Weissach directly. Interesting.

I love my Cayenne Turbo S, it is the perfect family car for a Porsche nut like me. Unfortunately the public perception of this car over here in Germany is very bad, I think I told this to you guys many many times before.

The Panamera is a similar story: I may go for the Panamera if I succeed in selling the Cayenne Turbo S, I may even consider getting the Panamera as my only Porsche if my financial situation doesn't allow me to keep my 997 Turbo AND to drive a Porsche family car. The problem is, I don't like the Panamera too much right now. I saw it, it isn't really looking as good as I expected(matter of taste of course), the  interior reminds me slightly of Vertu phones(it is nice but somehow optically overloaded) and what worries me most is the excessive weight, especially of the Turbo model(~ 2-2.1 tons).

Of course, even at 2 tons weight, the Panamera Turbo will be a blast to drive with the new improved PASM/PTM and the 500 HP engine. Still: I can get the same fun if I buy a BMW M5 and I may even get a Boxster for weekend fun for the price difference between both.

Yes, I love Porsche but I won't pay any price for a Porsche car, especially since Porsche started and will increase using the possible synergy effects both in production and parts management they got with getting control of VW and therefore Audi/Lamborghini too.

I don't have a final price tag for the Panamera yet but if my sources are right, the Panamera Turbo will be in the Cayenne Turbo range and this is a bit too much for me.

At some point, I was Porsche's ideal customer, owning a 997 Turbo for myself, a Boxster S for my wife and driving a Cayenne Turbo S as a family car. The perfect Porsche "family". I don't think that Porsche is going to see many ideal customers in the future anymore, simply because their cars are too expensive and the competition offers too many alternatives which are even substantially cheaper. The best example is the BMW M3 Cab DKG my wife drives. We really wanted to get a 997 Carrera FL Cab PDK instead but despite the 25000 EUR price difference, there also wasn't enough leg room for our 8 year old daugther in the rear of the 997 Cab.

A SUV at 2.5 ton weight I could understand, even if I expected something different from a manufacturer like Porsche. It needs to be rigid and it needs to support a lot of stress, I somehow understand.

A sports limousine at 2.1 tons I do not understand.

--
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor 997 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo S, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW

I fully agree. Disregard for SUV and especially Cayenne is also pronounced in Belgium.

 I've always hoped that Porsche would better its image by selling lighter cars, bringing creativity regarding consumption, people-friendliness, ...

The empathy that older Porsches such as 356, early 911, maybe Boxsters do create is due to the fact that those cars had reasonable size, were light and non agressive.

 Porsche is not much in phase with our time, I think. 

RC:

Yes, I love Porsche but I won't pay any price for a Porsche car, especially since Porsche started and will increase using the possible synergy effects both in production and parts management they got with getting control of VW and therefore Audi/Lamborghini too.

I agree. It used to be that Porsche had such a brand image (history in motor-racing -past tense that is-, pedigree, tradition, sportcar exclusivety, etc) that they could get away with charging higher prices for their cars compared to other general brands competitors, but now that they are taking the route of fitting medicre performing 240HP Audi outsourced oilburner engines in their cars (despite publicly stating over and over that diesel engines do not fit Porsche philosophy), that image is going down the drain, hence customers will not see any point in paying "extra" for a Porsche since its going down the road of BMW/Merc/Audi and should therefore carry their prices.

Next step will be a Touran chasis with Q7 diesel engine and slapped Porsche badge for a baby cayenne at a premium price, and a Boxster with a VW 4-cilinder engine... hope they made the calculations for following this route, while profitable in the near future, will pay off in the long run.

They better keep making such good 911s because the Porsche badge means little to me, a 240HP diesel engine is the straw that broke the camel's back.

Carlos from Spain:

the Porsche badge means little to me, a 240HP diesel engine is the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

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Unfortunately the Porsche badge means a lot to other people. I know a couple of Cayenne owners who bought a Cayenne only because of the Porsche badge. I bet they regret now buying a Cayenne.

I also know potential customers for the Panamera. Some of them don't even want to know how good or bad this car is, it has a Porsche badge, this is all what counts.

I always loved Porsche but I couldn't care less about the badge. This july, when we went for a BMW M3 Cab instead of a 997 Carrera Cab FL, it was a tough decision for me. I wanted the Porsche badly and the dealer was giving me a good deal but in the end, the BMW was the cheaper, less attraction catching, family friendly car.

Porsche sold too many cars and lost exclusivity. I have to admit that I actually wouldn't care because I enjoy driving these cars, I don't count resale value. On the other hand I'm not willing to pay a premium price for a car which I meet at almost every corner of my town.

Right now, considering the technology and fun to drive, I think that BMW gives customers a great value for their money. A value not even Audi can provide. Mercedes is a different story, they lost the momentum of time, their cars are considered "old people" cars, I can't identify myself anymore with Mercedes.

Porsche needs to give the customers a better value for their money.

People who complain about the diesel are not familiar with the Porsche history and the Porsche concept.

Porsche(the man and the the company) at various stages made anything from amphibious vehicles to agricultural tractors to light military vehicles to engines for single-engined aircraft to VW engined cheap sports cars along with their race winners and the RS models.

There is no snobbery at Porsche and no inferiority complex to prove that they are above.

This culture separates Porsche from the one-sided concept of firms like Ferrari for example that have always specialised on exclusive ultra expensive "exotic" cars. This is of course another philosophy that has also given us some great cars.

For Porsche what has been important  is not the type of car or its price range but the quality of its engineering, its ability to get the job done in an excellent way whatever the circumstances and of course its durability.

RC:

 Unfortunately the Porsche badge means a lot to other people. I know a couple of Cayenne owners who bought a Cayenne only because of the Porsche badge. I bet they regret now buying a Cayenne.

I also know potential customers for the Panamera. Some of them don't even want to know how good or bad this car is, it has a Porsche badge, this is all what counts.

I always loved Porsche but I couldn't care less about the badge. This july, when we went for a BMW M3 Cab instead of a 997 Carrera Cab FL, it was a tough decision for me. I wanted the Porsche badly and the dealer was giving me a good deal but in the end, the BMW was the cheaper, less attraction catching, family friendly car.

Porsche sold too many cars and lost exclusivity. I have to admit that I actually wouldn't care because I enjoy driving these cars, I don't count resale value. On the other hand I'm not willing to pay a premium price for a car which I meet at almost every corner of my town.

Right now, considering the technology and fun to drive, I think that BMW gives customers a great value for their money. A value not even Audi can provide. Mercedes is a different story, they lost the momentum of time, their cars are considered "old people" cars, I can't identify myself anymore with Mercedes.

Porsche needs to give the customers a better value for their money.

The "badge thing" extends to other brands and not only in automobiles.

People equally buy a BMW especially the1, 3 or 5, whereas a VW or even an Opel can do the job equally well and even better.

Same applies to audi that is becoming the new BMW. With Audi things are worse because you get the same VW mechanicals with a large surcharge.

At least Porsche make only 100,000+ cars distributed throughout the world and you don't see so many identical looking models in a every side road. So even if they charge a premium you know that there are not so many around and if you wish you can leave your Carrera to your children and it will carry its charisma long after an M3 would be worth 500 euro or be in a scrap yard.

reginos:

People who complain about the diesel are not familiar with the Porsche history and the Porsche concept.

reginos, what a bold statement, guess you are the only one who knows about Porsche history and concept then 

aaaaanyway... lets elaborate, having used a diesel engine in building a tractor ages ago has very little relation to using a 240HP diesel engine it in their stret cars. Whats a diesel in a tractor got to do with a diesels in the stretcra model line? Guess you don't know that Lamborghini actually builds tractors currently? yes, Lamborghini. Heard anyone complain about Lamborghini diesels?

For me porsche has been a youngster's dream for a very long time. Now i'm driving my 4th porsche and am really doubting wether i will buy the 991 or 998 ... Especially since resale is difficult and at very bad prices... A friend had a 997S for sale (really terrific and spotless car) for 5 months at the dealership... When his FL arrived he had finally to decide to sell his car at 8K less then espected.

Porsche will really have to come up with something astonishing to get my savings... I'm considering buying something else,cheaper, e.g M3 or S5( since i'm enjoying my A5 3.0tdi a lot), and buy an older porsche to get the 'feeling" of the past sensations.

It would save me a lot of money...

Still very curious what the 991 will look like!

Find the FL boxster a big step forward in designing compared to the 911FL which is good but not great IMHO  

ex 965 3.3turbo/ ex 993 targa / ex 996 cab /

now 997S cabrio //  Audi A5 S-line 3.0tdi Quattro

Carlos from Spain:

reginos:

People who complain about the diesel are not familiar with the Porsche history and the Porsche concept.

reginos, what a bold statement, guess you are the only one who knows about Porsche history and concept then 

aaaaanyway... lets elaborate, having used a diesel engine in building a tractor ages ago has very little relation to using a 240HP diesel engine it in their stret cars. Whats a diesel in a tractor got to do with a diesels in the stretcra model line? Guess you don't know that Lamborghini actually builds tractors currently? yes, Lamborghini. Heard anyone complain about Lamborghini diesels?

--

My point Carlos is that Porsche has never been a bijou brand like the Italian marques.

Porsche have had no taboos and complexes in their history and they are not afraid that they will lose their exclusivity and snob appeal if they deviate. And this is why I like them.

They make a 3.0 diesel for a segment of Porsche lovers and they make a GT2 for others. The two are not mutually exclusive. The point is to make both vehicles in such a way as to fulfill their respective uses.

BTW lamborghini tractors are today a totally different company owned by the SAME Deutz-Fahr Group.

beltar:

For me porsche has been a youngster's dream for a very long time. Now i'm driving my 4th porsche and am really doubting wether i will buy the 991 or 998 ... Especially since resale is difficult and at very bad prices... A friend had a 997S for sale (really terrific and spotless car) for 5 months at the dealership... When his FL arrived he had finally to decide to sell his car at 8K less then espected.

Porsche will really have to come up with something astonishing to get my savings... I'm considering buying something else,cheaper, e.g M3 or S5( since i'm enjoying my A5 3.0tdi a lot), and buy an older porsche to get the 'feeling" of the past sensations.

It would save me a lot of money...

Still very curious what the 991 will look like!

Find the FL boxster a big step forward in designing compared to the 911FL which is good but not great IMHO  

--

ex 965 3.3turbo/ ex 993 targa / ex 996 cab /

now 997S cabrio //  Audi A5 S-line 3.0tdi Quattro

If I were you, looking into the financial dimension of Porsche ownership, I would consider a FL Cayman S with PDK LSD and PASM for a fun sports car.

Your Audi TDI is fantastic for all your other driving needs. 

reginos:

Porsche have had no taboos and complexes in their history and they are not afraid that they will lose their exclusivity and snob appeal if they deviate. And this is why I like them.

I understand Reginos but when snob appeal appeared into the picture? who here cares about that? everybody else here is talking about brand identity and philosophy always associated with the Porsche way of designing cars. Without it Porsche its just a smaller version of VW with a price premium

And as long as we are talking about Porsche from a historic point of view, ever since Porsche started making street cars, using a diesel engine has never crossed any of the company director's minds. Not even the current leadership, who has repeatedly denied it... right up until now all of a sudden.

reginos:

They make a 3.0 diesel for a segment of Porsche lovers and they make a GT2 for others.

A V6 3.0l diesel engine for a 2+ ton vehicle is hardly for us "Porsche" lovers, its for a new type "badge" lovers they want to open up to. But if thats were they want to head, don't expect any brand loyalty or pasion from me, but thats fine, we still have the 911, as long as they don't touch the 911 with that new anti-sporty philosophy and make a GT cruiser out of it as time goes by just beacuse they can reach a larger market with it too.

Carlos I can see your point and I understand your worries but I disagree with you because you view things through an emotional prism.

Times change and we must be more pragmatic. The financial and legislative realities are different from what they used to be. Manufacturers struggle to stay financially healthy and on top of this fuel consumption and CO2 rules and penalties are changing the automotive landscape forever. In this overall context Porsche made a lot of money from the Cayenne and stayed in business. This will continue with the diesel and the panamera and as a result they will continue to make a better range of sportscars that you, I and thousands of others enjoy around the world.

So why should I complain?  I enjoy my Carrera and I don't care if my neighbour drives a cayenne.1 with 3.2 lt engine and with the same badge as my car. This is where snobbery would come in, if I felt bad about it. A Ferrari owner might not like a similar situation. But we, friends of  Porsche are different.

BTW why complain about the diesel and not the VW petrol 3.2 and 3.6? Because there is still an unjustified image problem with diesel  in spite of the enrmous improvement in diesel technology.

IMO if Porsche didn't follow this strategy, then they would have to become a subsidiary of VW or at worst change owners continuously and be in a state of constant chaos like Lotus, aston martin, jaguar and all the other manufacturers that wanted to stay exclusive against the changing times.

Even if the 911 is becoming a little more GT for some enthusiasts and very few can afford the more hard-core GT2/3, the FL Cayman from what I can gather is a great sports car, don't you think so? Also the Panamera based front-engined GT, which will surely come soon, will leave the 911 in its position as the true affordable sports car for us to enjoy.

reginos: In this overall context Porsche made a lot of money from the cayenne and they will keep making with the diesel and the panamera and as a result they made a better range of sportscars that you, I and thousands of others enjoy.

Hi Reginos, this deduction is what I don't agree with. Reasoning it out actually brings us to the opposite conclusion. Just because they make more money by transforming the company model line into a more generalist less sporty one, doesn't mean they will use that money specifically for the sportcars they have left in their line up.
Fact is, Porsche is making more money than ever yet their involvement in motorsport in the last decade has shriveled  compared to the previous four decades, their cost-value ratio of their sportcars has not gotten any better, on the contrary, they have reduced production costs more than ever turning into the most profitable per car maker but the prices have not gone any lower, they come up with a secuential only 10 years after the competion, they have waited 10 years to correct the engine design flaw of the Carrera engine responsible for RMS failures and intermediate shaft blow ups, etc, etc.
And by tearing down all the sportcar-phisolophy walls one by one (using a diesel engine and a mediocre one at that, is a big one) they open up the way to apply that to the sportcar models in their lineup for the very exact reasons. There is nothing to say that they won't and actually if we look at what they are doing with the nother models, it all points into this direction. Sportiveness is not their objective and basis, other aspects and vehicles are becoming more important now and have a greater influence on the company.
Thats what bothers me, not the number of cars they sell and how many people can drive one, I written many times on this forum that the more people can enjoy a Porsche the better and exclusivety is not Porsche's way, it not quantity that bothers me, but the sport-quality, the type of cars they cater to. I for one will be looking very closely at what they do with the 991now as a posible future client because if they cahnge its concept, a die hard 911 fan like me will be looking elsewere for my 997S replacement , the fact that it wears a Porsche badge will do nothing for me anymore. I find it hard to believe this will happen but maybe its just hope and denial.

Hi Carlos,

Some of the things you say I agree and mostly  about the presence in motorsport. Ok, the presence and success in the P2 category is something, an improvement compared to the 2000-2005 period, but they should at least have some overall wins at LM  since 1998. They could even compete and win at the Dakar series with a Race Cayenne to give more prestige to this model. F1? Very tall order with today's budgets, if not financially dangerous for a small company.

Of course we cannot go back to the variety of success of 60s and 70s because the investment required is enormous now. Then,for example, they could modify a 911 slightly and win every something from theMonte Carlo rallye to the 24h of Daytona. Nowadays the investment only to take part is huge.

However, part of the newfound wealth was used to make the cars better value for money. If you look at the prices of the Porsche range in the 70s and 80s and even up to the 993 and bring them to the present value, they were not affordable like they are now, especially if you take average earnings into the equation. In the 60s and 70s you had to be really  wealthy to afford a 911. Now a normal professional or business-person can buy a very good 987/997.

I restored a 70s 911 some 10 years ago and I have gained experience of the technology and believe me serious reliability problems existed then and continued for many years until rectified. The chain tensioner and cylinder stud failures as well as the constant oil leakages were much worse than the RMS, IS and other problems of today. At least now they are large enough to cover failures even out of strict warranty.

When the 924 was introduced it was knocked heavily because of its engine which was derived from a VW commercial van, like the Cayenne VW derived engines today. But they needed the 924 to generate more volume of sales like they need the non-sports models today.

We shouldn't have a romantic view of the past. The more things change the more they stay the same.

IMO we shouldn't worry. There will always be a right Porsche for true car lovers, like it has always been.