Porsche is one of the best-respected and revered performance car manufacturers, with the German company having dedicated decades to developing a very specific recipe as it looked to craft the most engaging driver’s cars on the road. It largely pioneered the rear-engined layout with its 911 sports car, which helped to increase the level of traction enjoyed by its driver. Alongside this, beloved mid-engined options like the Boxster and Cayman offer a more balanced driving experience, making them popular with casual and focused drivers alike.
The company very nearly died 30 years ago though, and was ultimately only able to become the global giant it is today thanks to one particular model. It may not be one of Porsche’s best-loved – especially in the eyes of gearheads – but it deserves a ton of respect for what it allowed its maker to become.
Porsche Was Struggling To Make Ends Meet In The 1990s
1993 Porsche 911 Turbo Exterior Close-UpPorsche
2003-2010 Porsche Cayenne
Engine
3.0L turbodiesel V6, 3.2–3.6L NA VR6, 4.5–4.8L NA/twin-turbo V8
Power
237–550 hp
Torque
229–553 lb-ft
0-60 mph
4.7–8.0 seconds
While Porsche had developed a reputation for building cars that teamed forward-thinking innovation with daily usability, and were sprinkled with decades of racing DNA, it found itself on the back foot as the 1990s rolled around. Its lineup of expensive, high-end cars was starting to look a little stale due to a lack of development money available, while a recession at the time also saw sales drop. Plus, its manufacturing processes were badly outdated, with around 120 hours dedicated to building each car, making it wildly inefficient.
As a result, Porsche was starting to look in a very precarious position, especially as sales for its 1980s-developed car were looking ever worse as the competition modernized their own lineups during the 90s.
The German Marque Stayed Alive By Picking Up Outside Work
Green Audi RS2 rear on roadPorsche
Things got to a point where Porsche managed to keep the life support machine on by carrying out jobs for other manufacturers. Using its extensive experience in the performance sector, it helped the likes of Audi and Mercedes-Benz to develop performance versions of its own models. The most famous examples of this were the RS2 and 500E, which were two of the fiercest family-friendly performance cars that emerged during the decade.
While these exploits helped keep the lights on, Porsche knew it needed to change things around if it was to remain a force to be reckoned with into the next century.
The Success Of A Small Sports Car Lit The Touchpaper For Success
2003 – 2004 Porsche Boxster exteriorPorsche
Porsche’s answer was the Boxster, a low-cost drop-top sports car that ensured those who couldn’t afford a 911 could enjoy the Porsche ownership experience. Launched in 1996, the mid-engined car got one of Porsche’s beloved naturally aspirated flat-six engines, while its center-engined layout meant it was actually better balanced in the bends than the 911. Crucially, its drastically lower asking price meant a greater number of people could now consider a Porsche, and, by the end of the decade, the car was comfortably outselling the 911 worldwide.
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1996-2004 Porsche Boxster
Engine
2.5–3.2L NA H6
Power
201–264 hp
Torque
181–229 lb-ft
0-60 mph
5.2–7.4 seconds
This provided Porsche with a much healthier development budget, which meant that not only could it modernize the 911, it could also develop a new model that could elevate its finances to the next level. Called the Cayenne, it was the brand’s first-ever SUV, and it was envisioned to take advantage of the booming premium SUV market that had started to bring in big numbers in the late 1990s. Released in 2002, the car wasn’t showered with praise due to its styling, though its upmarket cabin and surprisingly agile and engaging handling balance immediately allowed it to stand out against the competition.
The Cayenne Was Big Business
2004 Porsche Cayenne exteriorPorsche
The Cayenne also meant that buyers who wanted a comfortable daily rather than a more focused sports car offering could finally consider owning a Porsche, which opened it up to a much larger slice of the market. The manufacturer managed to shift more units worldwide than the 911 and Boxster combined in 2003, with the total number sold eclipsing 40,000 the year after. Following the 2008 global recession, the Cayenne only got more popular.
By 2012, Porsche was shipping over 70,000 Cayennes per year, more than three times the number of 911s. This proved transformational for the brand’s bank account, and helped turn it from an enthusiast’s favorite to a global superpower in the luxury and performance space. Having netted a profit of around $425 million in 2001, it was bringing home around double that by 2005. Spin the clock forward to 2010, and Porsche was earning over a billion dollars in profit. The Cayenne was the biggest catalyst behind this considerable profit increase, and there were clear signs that this success was finally giving the breathing room that Porsche craved.
The 911 Was A Key Beneficiary Of The Cayenne’s Sales Boom
press image of the 991-generation Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey Racing breaking lap recordsPorsche
With all the extra money earned from the Cayenne, Porsche could develop its 911 more readily than ever before. The 991 generation, built between 2011 and 2019, was only the third all-new platform used by a 911 in its history. The Cayenne’s success in the 2000s afforded the brand the resources needed to develop its most technologically advanced 911 ever, with the car being headlined by a new 3.4-liter flat-six engine. Beyond this, it featured a primarily aluminium chassis that ensured the car was over 100 lbs lighter than its forerunner, as well as an Active Suspension Management feature that helped keep the car flatter and more compliant over a range of road surfaces.
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Other innovations like torque vectoring, which was introduced by Japanese manufacturers in the 1990s, were also available on the Carrera S as standard, and as an option on the entry-level variants. It first entered the Porsche range in 2009, as an option for the 997. Overall, the 991 provided a large step forward in terms of performance compared to its 997 predecessor, while further changes like an electromechanical power steering setup were developed to help increase fuel efficiency versus the older car.
The same kind of leaps forward were made with the 992, while Porsche’s racing program went from strength to strength, with it even having the money needed to sustain a title-winning World Endurance Championship LMP1 project.
More Models Than Ever Before
The Porsche 918 Spyder’s V8 engine and two electric motors produce nearly 900 hp. Handy.Porsche
Alongside developing the 911, the extra money at Porsche’s fingertips allowed it to take risks developing models that wouldn’t be as big sellers as its mainstream lineup. Take the GT3 RS as a good example of this, with the car being an even more track-focused and hardcore variant of the standard 911 GT3. Developed with money secured by early sales of the Cayenne, its NA flat six was equipped with a race-spec exhaust and revised cylinder heads to produce even more power and precision, as well as a stiffer suspension setup and more aggressive aerodynamic package that helped boost downforce.
Then we come to the 918. This was the first hybrid supercar to be put into production, narrowly beating the likes of Ferrari and McLaren to the punch. The extra cash provided by the Cayenne allowed Porsche to develop the highly expensive powertrain found within the 918, as well as the other bespoke goodies hidden beneath the skin. Porsche’s development team cooked up the model in just three years, a feat made possible by the extensive budget made available for it.
Porsche May Not Have Survived Without The Cayenne
2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS Side ViewPorsche
This begs the question of what would have happened to Porsche had it not developed the Boxster, and subsequently the Cayenne. It’s fair to say the highly developed modern versions of the 911 – and supercars like the 918 – can thank the rapid Cayenne for the drastic progress made. This extends to fans of the brand and wider performance sector, who may look down upon the Cayenne for not being a “true Porsche”. Without the SUV, it’s likely the 911 family would never have reached the heights it has reached, and could have disappeared.
After all, Porsche was barely breaking even in the mid-1990s, which signifies it could well have gone bust well before the revolutionary 991 was even an idea in the brand engineers’ minds. Without the cash garnered by the Boxster and Cayenne, it would have been impossible for Porsche to further develop the 911, and bring it up to date against its more modern rivals. As a result, the brand would likely have collapsed under the financial strain of trying to shift outdated offerings.
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Car lovers around the world should be thankful for what the Cayenne has allowed Porsche to become, and beyond that, how the 911 has been able to sustain its reputation as one of the world’s greatest sports cars.
Sources: Porsche.
