The Porsche Cayenne 20 years after its introduction to the world.
Twenty years have passed since the introduction of the first Porsche Cayenne. While purists may still scoff at Porsche's decision to create an SUV, the Cayenne's glorious success helped fund the development of multiple Porsche sports cars and helped transform the brand into the powerhouse it is today.
The Cayenne is now in its third generation, the first debuting at the 2002 Paris International Motor Show. Naturally, it was quite controversial at the time, as Porsche's lineup was all sports cars.
However, the Cayenne quickly proved to be the sportiest of the SUVs and quickly became Porsche's most popular model. In fact, the Cayenne saved Porsche from serious financial difficulties.
In the early 1990s, Porsche was in the red. A more affordable sports car was conceived and eventually launched in 1996 as the Boxster. Porsche had achieved success with the Boxster, but to gain a foothold, the company needed a third product line that would be less susceptible to economic downturns than the sports car.
Sedans and minivans were considered, but on the recommendation of Porsche's U.S. sales team, the decision was made for an SUV. This new product line was first unveiled in 1998, but at the time was known only as Project Colorado. The engineers' goal was to create a vehicle that was powerful, dynamic, and suited for all terrains.
However, Porsche did not go it alone, but partnered with Volkswagen to develop the first Touareg along with the first Cayenne; launching an SUV was already a considerable risk, but Porsche was under even greater pressure because it would also need a new production facility.
It was decided that the new plant would be built in Leipzig, Germany, and in August 2002, two years after construction began, the plant was ready. One month later, the Cayenne was unveiled to the world in Paris.
Today, the Cayenne competes for sales with its little brother, the Macan. Porsche has just expanded its lineup to include a coupe-like body style and will likely add a battery-electric powertrain in the future.
