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New Porsche Cayman 'licence to print money'
June 16, 2005
By Martin Bensley
Stuttgart, Germany - Porsche has high hopes that the new Cayman S coupe will help the company realise one of chief executive Wendelin Wiedeking's most nurtured ambitions - 100 000 showroom departures a year.
Current sales include 40 000 Cayenne off-roaders, 30 000 of the revamped 911 in its various guises and 15 000 soft-top Boxsters.
Porsche is believed to aiming for annual Cayman sales of 15 000 and, provided the coupe catches on in the US, the Cayman should underscore the long-term viability of the brand
Some pundits say the Cayman could damage Boxster sales; even lure devotees away from the 911
.
It will be enough to power the Stuttgart firm into six-figure sales territory within two or three years.
According to industry expert Peter Schmidt of the Automotive Industry Data organisation, producing the Cayman is effectively a licence for Wiedeking to "print money".
Since a coupe does require expensive bodywork strengthening and other features it is much cheaper to manufacture at Porsche's Valmet subsidiary in Finland, the expert points out. In Germany, Cayman S prices will start at €58 500 when the car goes on sale in November.
Some pundits have warned that the Cayman could inflict damage on Boxster sales; even lure devotees away from the iconic, rear-engined 911
Tintop coupes are generally cheaper but the Cayman adds €6000 for the privilege
. To keep those customers interested a plethora of new 911 variants is in the pipeline for late 2005 and early 2006, including a hardcore all-wheel- drive version.
Porsche's German customers have been largely untouched by the country's current economic woes but the company could be taking a risk by charging more for the closed Cayman than it does for the Boxster on which it is based.
Fixed-head coupes are traditionally priced lower than cabriolets yet the Cayman S costs €6000 more.
The name Cayman suggests a wily small alligator from America or a tax-free haven in the Caribbean but the car is essentially a Boxster with a tin top.
A glance at the specification sheet reveals some mouth-watering details, such as the uprated Boxster engine - a mid-mounted 3.2-litre six with 210kW - or the 3.6 litre (245kW) version from the current 911.
The Cayman S has the VarioCam Plus system that boosts engine power yet the real attraction of this car are its seductive lines.
Instantly recognisable as a Porsche, the Cayman is a stunner to look at and one of the best-yet shapes drawn by now retired chief designer Harm Langaay. The front treatment with built-in fog lights hints at the Carrera GT while the wheelbase, longer than that of the Boxster, gives the car an elegant, gently sloping rear aspect.
A stability programme is standard and for a few Euros more customers can order PASM - the Porsche Active Suspension Management system that lowers the car by 10mm and adjusts suspension response ratings automatically to road conditions. There are two options, "Sport" and "Normal".
The introduction of what promises to be a successful model comes at a time when Porsche, unlike most German automakers, is still able to regularly trumpet its successes.
Although US Cayenne sales flagged, Porsche boosted business in North America by 25 percent in the first five months of 2005. Indeed, Boxster sales rocketed by 142 percent compared to the same period a year before and 17 percent more 911s left showrooms.
In Germany, Porsche sales were up by 17 percent this year and the company's share price has now risen above €600. - Sapa-DPA