huh? the Cayenne is that... ugly?

[AmazonRasta]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Rather than thinking of it as diluting the Porsche name, think of it as giving those who want the passenger moving prowess of an SUV a Porsche option.

For the people that can use a two-seater sports car as a daily driver, the 911 will be there. For those who want something to blast around in when it's more than the driver, their date, & two cm³ of luggage, the Cayenne will be there.

This isn't replacing Porsche's heritage, it's augmenting it. Why limit themselves to the weekend driver market when they can provide a balls-out daily driver as well?

Viper GTS

It's not about passenger moving. It's about pandering to mainstream suburban soccer dads who don't know a damn thing about cars except "Porsche = leet". Proof being the fact that it only comes with an auto. A Cadillac SUV was bad enough.
Why didn't Porsche just make a wagon? They are destroying their brand image, and the Cayenne WILL be seen in the future as one of the great mistakes of automobile history.

Oh please! Can you tell me what's in my future too?

NFS4, if you're so critical of this Porsche SUV, please let me ask, what do you drive?

 

[malbojah]

Originally posted by: ObiDon
Remember those old VW pickups that looked like the front half of a Rabbit with a truck-bed attached to the back?
Well, to me, this looks like the front 1/3 of a 996 spliced onto a BMW X5.

They really need to black-out that trim around the windows. That alone would do wonders for the look.

I also remember it looking a LOT different in the brochures I saw several months ago.

Hey, my boss owns one of those and he had a VW GTi engine dropped in it (don't no what year), had some nice rims put on it and dropped it to the ground. Looks great and is a blast to drive. (he won't let me drive it anymore after I got pulled over in it...oopps )

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: AmazonRasta

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Rather than thinking of it as diluting the Porsche name, think of it as giving those who want the passenger moving prowess of an SUV a Porsche option.

For the people that can use a two-seater sports car as a daily driver, the 911 will be there. For those who want something to blast around in when it's more than the driver, their date, & two cm³ of luggage, the Cayenne will be there.

This isn't replacing Porsche's heritage, it's augmenting it. Why limit themselves to the weekend driver market when they can provide a balls-out daily driver as well?

Viper GTS

It's not about passenger moving. It's about pandering to mainstream suburban soccer dads who don't know a damn thing about cars except "Porsche = leet". Proof being the fact that it only comes with an auto. A Cadillac SUV was bad enough.
Why didn't Porsche just make a wagon? They are destroying their brand image, and the Cayenne WILL be seen in the future as one of the great mistakes of automobile history.

Oh please! Can you tell me what's in my future too?

NFS4, if you're so critical of this Porsche SUV, please let me ask, what do you drive?

What does it matter what I drive? What I drive has no bearing on the fact that the Cayenne is ugly and a disgrace to the Porsche legacy.

 

[vetteguy]

What does it matter what I drive? What I drive has no bearing on the fact that the Cayenne is ugly and a disgrace to the Porsche legacy.

In other words, not a Porsche.

Sorry, just messing with you. But seriously, I like the Cayenne. I have a Porsche, and when I first heard about it, I was upset. (Actually, I can remember back when the Cayenne project was originally going to be a Mini-van). First, I like SUVs. Secondly, I like Porsches. If I was in a position to get a new, luxury SUV, I would definitely look at a Cayenne, simply because it's p!ssed off. Of course, I also like the X5, and can't wait until there is an M model. I don't think Porsche has "sold out" by making the Cayenne. As someone mentioned, even though they've always been an enthusiast company, they still need to make money, and by getting into a niche market of sport/luxury SUVs, they may be able to do that. Plus, Porsche has ALWAYS taken heat when they've introduced new models. Remember the 928? "A V-8 in a Porsche?!? WTF?!?!" How about the Boxster? "What the hell are they thinking???" The Cayenne will be the same way. Sure, there will be some who never accept it, but they don't need to buy it.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This is not about performance, it's not even about looks...it's about the dilution of the Porsche name to cash in on $$$ when they are already the most profitable car company in the world.

This is a rather deceptive claim, and it goes right to the heart of why the Cayenne is being produced. Porsche makes more money PER VEHICLE than any other carmaker in the world, but the overall number of vehicles they sell is tiny compared to any of several companies, and the sports-car segment is the most fickle sliver of the automotive market. Given the state of the economy lately, I would not want to base my livelihood on building $50K+ sports cars, regardless of how much I was marking each one up. Porsche is building the Cayenne as an effort to ensure its continued independence in an automotive world full of massive international conglomerates.

I for one do not like the idea of the Cayenne much, but I don't particularly like other SUVs, and I don't think the Cayenne's production is the end of the world either. If cost were no object and I was given marching orders to buy an SUV, I would look long and hard at the Cayenne (though I imagine I would settle on one of the new Range Rovers or a G-wagen).

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: vetteguy

What does it matter what I drive? What I drive has no bearing on the fact that the Cayenne is ugly and a disgrace to the Porsche legacy.

In other words, not a Porsche.

Sorry, just messing with you. But seriously, I like the Cayenne. I have a Porsche, and when I first heard about it, I was upset. (Actually, I can remember back when the Cayenne project was originally going to be a Mini-van). First, I like SUVs. Secondly, I like Porsches. If I was in a position to get a new, luxury SUV, I would definitely look at a Cayenne, simply because it's p!ssed off. Of course, I also like the X5, and can't wait until there is an M model. I don't think Porsche has "sold out" by making the Cayenne. As someone mentioned, even though they've always been an enthusiast company, they still need to make money, and by getting into a niche market of sport/luxury SUVs, they may be able to do that. Plus, Porsche has ALWAYS taken heat when they've introduced new models. Remember the 928? "A V-8 in a Porsche?!? WTF?!?!" How about the Boxster? "What the hell are they thinking???" The Cayenne will be the same way. Sure, there will be some who never accept it, but they don't need to buy it.

There's a difference though. When Porsche introduced those new models, they were STILL sports cars. Secondly, the Boxster has been widely praised since its introduction for its handling, decent performance, and good looks. The only strike the Boxster could possibly have against it when it was introduced was that it was too cheap (price wise) compared to what Porsches normally cost. And the Boxster also had history on its side as it was patterned after the 550 Sypder.

Even to this day, the Boxster is THE benchmark for the roadster market.

The Cayenne is an even further departure than the 928 or 924 ever were.

 

[vetteguy]

Everyone's seen the Lamborghini SUV, right? (Well, I don't know if it's technically an SUV, but call it whatever you want). I'm fairly certain that particular model has not hurt their reputation as a sports car manufacturer, nor have potential buyers gone with a Ferrari or Porsche just because it's in their lineup.

As far as none of Porshe's other gambles being this dangerous, remember when they announced that the new 911's would be watercooled? You'd think that they blasphemed Christ.

It's something new and different for Porsche to try. Will it work? Who knows. Would I buy one? Maybe. Will others? Probably. One thing is for sure...there would be nothing cooler than to blow by some Camaro or Mustang fanboys in a 450hp SUV!!!

 

[BooneRebel]

NFS4, it's not a disgrace to the Porsche legacy. In fact, it's an effort to maintain it. If you look into the history behind the decision, Porsche wishes to remain an independent company. While they may be quite profitable on the units they do sell, they're not moving enough to stay in business. They have to generate cash and the Cayenne is a way to do so and keep it in house. Would you rather see their name tacked on to the end of a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda/Volvo/Jaguar/LandRover/AstonMartin umbrella?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: vetteguy
Everyone's seen the Lamborghini SUV, right? (Well, I don't know if it's technically an SUV, but call it whatever you want). I'm fairly certain that particular model has not hurt their reputation as a sports car manufacturer, nor have potential buyers gone with a Ferrari or Porsche just because it's in their lineup.

That is not really an apples-to-apples comparison. The Lambo LM002 was a limited-production vehicle with a super-exotic V-12 drivetrain that retailed for more than $100K back in the late '80s. Lamborghini was originally a farm-equipment manufacturer, and is no longer an independent manufacturer, anyway, as Porsche is.

Porsche, on the other hand, has never been anything but a sports car/racing car builder, and they, unlike Lamborghini, have a great racing legacy. They plan on selling tens of thousands of Cayennes annually, where Lamborghini sold only a few LM002s per year. Porsche is pretty much openly trying to water down their nameplate with this car.

As I said above, I don't think the Cayenne is one of the seven signs of the apolcalypse, but I think it is a pretty sad development.

 

[prontospyder]

The Cayenne is ugly as sin. A sad moment in Porsche's history...another car company taken over my greed.

I think the CEO of Porsche told Car and Driver that they needed to make high profit SUVs in order to keep developing those nice sports cars....

Yeah, the Cayenne is very ugly.

 

[andylawcc]

Originally posted by: aphexII

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth

Originally posted by: andylawcc
http://carpoint.msn.com/advice/standardart.aspx?contentid=4021262&src=msn

I remember it looked okay in the prototype stage.
fukk that, Toureg all the way!

Can you name one good looking SUV?

The touareg looks pretty damn sweet IMO. The only part that i dont care for is the oversized rear lights. Everything else is beautiful. I sat in one at the Paris auto show last week and it was AMAZING.

Nice SUV: Navigator, MDX, X5, Toureg, Land Cruiser, QX4, Discovery, Hummer H1 H2,

and yeah, the Toureg has a emensely large taillight, it looks like an enlarged GTI rear mated with a Passat Front...