TIME MACHINE
Editor Bennett peruses the archives of 911 & Porsche World from days gone by. What’s changed? That will be everything and nothing...
Journey through 911&PW’S past
What’s in a name? Quite a lot when it’s prefaced by Porsche, and so it was that we were able to reveal the name of Porsche’s forthcoming, and controversial SUV. Of course we’re perfectly used to the peppery Cayenne badge now, but back in 2000 it did cause some furrowed brows and general “what sort of a name is that?” reaction. Cue a marketing speak explanation from Porsche’s head honcho, Dr Wendelin Wiedeking: ‘With the words Carrera, Turbo, Targa and Boxster, we have given our sports cars names, which today are not only linked inextricably with the Porsche brand, but which also make a decisive contribution to the strong image and commercial success of these products. So the name of our new sports utility vehicle must not only be of substance, but must also reflect the Porsche product philosophy – in this case both on and off the road. We are convinced that the combination of Porsche and Cayenne radiates true strength, dynamism, fascination and emotion.’ Sorry, that was all a bit wordy, but at least now you know!
In other news we reported that Porsche had slashed its prices. Yes, you read that correctly. In fact at around this time it wasn’t just Porsche that was ‘slashing’ its prices, a lot of car companies were doing much the same for the UK market after prolonged media and consumer pressure, highlighting just how ripped-off home car buyers were compared to those in other European countries, not to mention the US, with canny UK buyers exploiting various loopholes to buy or import their cars from Holland or Belgium.
As a result the price of a Boxster, for example, plunged by £4000. Result. Not everyone was happy, however, as the 911&PW letters pages would confirm, with some being caught out by the price drop and others complaining of a potential drop in residuals. However, it’s pretty safe to say that it was a win-win for most buyers and a wake up call for greedy manufacturers.