Porsche Spice

Car companies manufacturing race cars take the adage ‘Race on Sunday, sell on Monday’ quite seriously. As does Porsche, the world’s largest race car manufacturer. In 2013, Porsche sold more than 1,62,000 cars globally – the car maker’s most successful year ever. However, this figure may be a mere drop in the worldwide automotive manufacturing ocean, and indeed, only two to three cars out of every 1,000 are a Porsche. Despite these small but significant volumes, Porsche is among the most profitable car manufacturers in the world. With its operating profits of €2.58 billion in 2013, the brand contributed to a significant 22 per cent of the Volkswagen Group’s profits.

The brand is not just the most profitable. It is also the fastest. With over 30,000 hard-fought victories under its belt, Porsche is the most successful car manufacturer in the history of motor sport. It has been in the thick of global racing action for over 60 years now.

From race to everyday

The lessons from the racetrack have had a strong and direct influence on the road-going cars that wear the hallowed Porsche crest. Many of the cutting edge technologies used by Porsche’s race engineers to improve performance and efficiency have found their way into the cars that roll out of its two manufacturing facilities in Germany. In Porsche’s case, racing has also built its reputation as a maker of well-engineered cars for driving enthusiasts.

In the world of sports cars, these machines from Germany are rather unique. That’s because, irrespective of the format – whether front-engined, mid-engined or rear-engined, whether two-door or four-door – they offer an extremely sporty driving experience, without losing out on day-to-day usability. This ethos makes up the DNA of all Porsche cars, be it the iconic 911, the Boxster and Cayman, the Macan compact SUV, the Cayenne SUV or the Panamera Gran Turismo.

While Porsche enthusiasts swear by the driving sensation and thrills provided by these sports cars, they also take pleasure in configuring these cars. Porsche offers a huge catalogue of individualisation options, that their cars could be configured with, right from the body colour to the colour of the seatbelt, and from the stitching on the leather to the little caps on the tyre valves.

With these countless choices, Porsche customers often end up virtually building their own car and personalise it extensively. So much so, that of the 162,000-plus cars delivered in 2013, none of them was like the other.

“With the Porsche Exclusive programme, our customers get the opportunity to extensively individualise their car and make it their own. Imagine your own bespoke automotive suit, tailored to fit your tastes, affluence and personality,” says Anil Reddi, Director, Porsche India.

Porsche fits in a very unique niche in the marketplace, a segment that it calls ‘sports luxury’. It is positioned well above other mass-produced premium brands and below the exotic ‘occasional use’ supercar brands.

All Porsche cars are made in Germany and shipped across to well-heeled customers around the world.

The limited volume of cars produced also assures exclusivity to Porsche’s customers. Other than their assurance of dynamic performance, Porsche cars are characterised by an understated, yet distinctive design, a high degree of quality in construction, engineering and materials plus craftsmanship of a high order. In short: they are built to last. In fact, the manufacturer claims that over two-thirds of all Porsches ever built since 1948 still run on the roads today.

Naturally, since the over 650 Porsche Clubs spread all over the world are highly active. These clubs are populated by enthusiasts who share the same passion. The company also has a restoration centre that ensures that the classics remain on the road for a long time to come. Some very special heritage Porsche road and racing cars often exchange hands at mind-boggling prices at international auctions.

The brand’s modern legacy has been set by the 911. The principle of the 911 is best explained by Ferry Porsche (1909-1998), who built the foundations for the car maker: “The 911 is the only car that you can drive from an African safari to Le Mans, then to the theatre and onto the streets of New York.” Porsche’s flagship sports car is currently celebrating its fiftieth anniversary celebrating the first ever models being delivered in 1964. Over those five decades and seven generations, the 911 captured the imagination of sports car lovers the world over, adorning bedroom walls of teenagers to being fawned over by Hollywood superstars. The 911 set the template for the other Porsche models to follow.

Reddi adds, “By seamlessly connecting the adrenaline rush with day-to-day practicality, Porsche has, over the years, managed to create a small but strong niche for itself in the world of automobiles.”

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