Porsche sales plunge 15 per cent in first quarter
Seems the Porsche buying public can't get enough of 911s - but sales are down for every other model
Unless flogging £30k Chinese PHEVs, it doesn’t feel like a great time to be selling cars right now. The situation is especially disappointing for Porsche, which has reported a 15 per cent drop in sales for the first quarter of 2026. While it feels like this decade has seen more use of the word ‘unprecedented’ than the previous three combined (and nobody wants to add to the tally), it’s hard to recall a time in recent memory that experienced so brutal a slump. While a total of 60,991 high end sports cars doesn’t look bad for January to March, it’s clearly some way down from 71,740 for the same period in 2025. And it’s hard to imagine the situation changing drastically any time soon.
The good news, first off. As wealthy customers continue to move away from battery power, so they embrace petrol power (and hybridisation) more enthusiastically: 911 sales are up 22 per cent against the 2025 Q1 tally, for 13,889 cars. There was said to be a ‘strong share’ of GTS, Turbo and GT models sold, which is encouraging for the bottom line and the ‘Value over Volume’ strategy Porsche is employing to weather the storm. Further evidence of that approach is coming very soon: a ‘particularly fun sports car’ addition to the 911 family is due next week…
Interestingly, more than 10,000 Macans with engines were sold in the first quarter of 2026, which feels akin to Sony having a bumper three months for Walkman sales. The ICE model is 12 years old now, yet demand remains strong, in case further proof was required of the way the wind is blowing. Despite the fact that the petrol Macan is no longer on sale in Europe, it outperformed the EV - 8,079 units of the latter found customers between January and March. It’s a more expensive Macan, yes, though that still ranks as something of a surprise.
Or perhaps not. The overall number of Macans sold (18,209) was 23 per cent down on 2025, attributable says Porsche to three factors: the ‘decline in the rate of the ramp-up of electromobility’ (no prizes for guessing that one), the US getting rid of its tax incentives for hybrids and EVs, plus a dying down of the initial Macan Electric launch hype. The first, most eager customers have their cars; now it’s a case of keeping the model fresh and enticing new buyers in. Bring on that Macan Dakar…
The Cayenne picture looks rosier than that of the Macan. It only suffered a four per cent drop in sales, and 19,183 deliveries made it the most in-demand Porsche for Q1. The all-electric model is due in dealers over the summer, too; given the enthusiasm for the Cayenne in all its forms for almost 25 years now, that car’s introduction feels like quite the litmus test. We’ll know if Porsche customers really don’t want electric if the battery-powered Cayenne doesn’t succeed. Certainly keeping the existing model on sale alongside seems prudent.
Unsurprisingly, given production ceased six months ago, numbers for the 718 sports cars were extremely low for the first quarter: just 1,792 deliveries, down 60 per cent. Amazingly, not very far off that slump is Panamera sales, down a huge 42 per cent year-on-year to just 4,498 examples. China, as influential as it is when it comes to large luxury saloon sales, is a key factor in the decline. There are Panamera Pure Editions coming just for that market this month, so there’s been what Porsche is calling a ‘temporary product gap’ for the first few months of 2026. So the Panamera ought to pick up in the quarters to come. You’d have to hope so, at least.
Finally, the Taycan. It wouldn’t be a Porsche sales story without reporting on the vicissitudes of Taycan demand. Back in 2021, the first quarter results showed a large EV that was almost as popular as the 911, with 9,072 sales against 9,133. Now, despite the advances made by the Taycan facelift and the charging changes in five years, just 3,420 cars were delivered. Not much more than a third of that 2021 figure, and a fall of 19 per cent against the 2025 figure. Yikes.
Porsche’s board member for sales and marketing Matthias Becker said: “Following the end of the combustion-engined 718 and the strong deliveries of the fully electric Macan at market launch, our figures are below the prior year level but are overall in line with our expectations. Strong demand for the 911 and the high proportion of top derivatives clearly demonstrate that the core of our sports car brand remains exceptionally strong. In the coming months, our focus will be on the market launch of the all-electric Cayenne, which will be delivered to its first customers from summer onwards.” Seldom has a Cayenne launch seemed more important. It’s an interesting time for Porsche classifieds, too: this really is your last chance to buy a new Macan or Cayman with a six-cylinder engine. Well, for now at least…
Porsche appear to have got things wrong in this cycle. Feel quite sorry for them, as it was not an easy call. Suspect many others will have the same problems. And that's before the flood of cheap Chinese products start to hit the market.
Hard time to be a European car maker.
What other sports car is in the £100-£200k bracket? Only the Corvette?
All the competition from Ferrari, Aston and McLaren are £200k upwards now aren’t they?
And there is only the Emira and MX5 below too. Slim pickings all round
Regardless of its powerplant its a great car.
I've been scoping out cheaper used ones at OPCs which look tempting with a 2 yr warranty and diesel at £2 a litre, fair to say they don't stay on the market long.
Regardless of its powerplant its a great car.
I've been scoping out cheaper used ones at OPCs which look tempting with a 2 yr warranty and diesel at £2 a litre, fair to say they don't stay on the market long.
TX.
Regardless of its powerplant its a great car.
I've been scoping out cheaper used ones at OPCs which look tempting with a 2 yr warranty and diesel at £2 a litre, fair to say they don't stay on the market long.
TX.
Not a car I'd buy from an indy without a long comprehensive warranty, and by the time you factor in a Porsche inspection and 2 yr warranty, you might as well pay up and get one from OPC.
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