Ray H

We can all rest easy now, Porsche has finally figured US out.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...t_x.htm?csp=34

ltc

Just some selected quotes. in no particular order:

"With Cayenne, Porsche for the first time was flooded with female buyers who had never driven one of its sports cars.
They were more interested in having a cool-looking luxury SUV to help cart the kids around town than satisfying an urge to drive hard and fast."


For instance, key fobs for Porsche's sports cars don't unlock the doors unless the driver is very close to the car, for safety reasons. But SUV drivers, who often approach the car in a parking lot with arms full of bags or while dealing with children, want the cars to unlock from a much farther distance.
"It was very much a cultural thing rather than a technical thing," Bartsch says. "It's been a cultural alignment between engineering in Germany and the consumer needs in America."


Cayenne scored poorly all around its first two years on the market. Complaints that were registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show people had problems with braking, the rear door failing to unlatch and the car hesitating when accelerating.

pcar964

Porsche sucks.

MadFox

I think the more interesting quote is this one: "We now have a much greater emphasis on American focus groups," says Michael Bartsch, Porsche's executive vice president and chief operating officer for North America. "There's always been a notion that engineering knows exactly what the consumer wants. What has transpired is that there's been a much closer link between engineering and the markets. They don't operate in these quarantine seas where there is no overlap."

Prompts the questions:
1. What happened to Peter?
2. Didn't the focus group say we want our freakin' CD NAV to have relevant up-to-date data?

p.s. I am definitely writing this joker with the USAToday article attached!

ltc

Michael reports to Peter.
Peter has neither the time nor the inclination to deal with the 'little people'.

mudman2

Lewis, you told them about my dress habit didn't you ? you promised not to ! I am pissed !

ltc

Hey, don't blame me, blame Larry.....you know that I don't really speak with Peter anymore