Wednesday 12th December 2012

Porsche says 'kerching!'

New model blitz helps Porsche ride out recession

---

Stats can, of course, be spun in any way you like so when Porsche boasts of selling over 90 per cent more 911s in November of this year compared with November of last year it sounds impressive.

But of course November last year was the moment the new 991 launched, so it's little wonder sales of the 997 were a little stagnant at this point. Likewise the chest beating about a three-fold increase in Boxster sales seems a little cheeky, given that this too is based on an all-new model.

Even Porsche calls it a cash cow...

The shocking thing, however, is not the 30 per cent increase in sales January-November in China, or 63 per cent boost comparing November 2012 with November 2011 in the same market. No, the really surprising thing is just how few sports cars Porsche now sells - of the nearly 13,000 cars it built in November just a smidge over 2,000 were 911s. And just 1,200 were Boxsters.

And you don't need to be a market analyst to guess what's really selling, or where. Sales are up in Europe - bucking trends elsewhere in the car market - but they're still soaring in China and America, the overall 128,978 vehicles built trumping 2011's number of 118,868 by some margin and not swelled by sales of 911s of Boxsters. Such is the way of it - at least they're still building them!

[Davey S2]

As Mr Harris said previously I don't care what ugly, heavy 4x4's or Panemeras they build and flog to China. If it gives them the cash to make cars like the GT3RS and 918 then thats fine with me.