Porsche Unveils the Cayenne Cabriolet That Could've Been

Peeling the Curtain

It's always fun when Porsche decides to take the covers off some of the remarkable concepts that never saw the light of day. This time, they're giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the Cayenne. Specifically, a cabriolet concept that made it all the way up to a full-size prototype of sorts. But it was deemed unworthy of the public eye, until now.

The Savior SUV

It was a shock to the automotive world when Porsche introduced an SUV model to their lineup of rear-engine and mid-engine sports cars. Over the past two decades, the Cayenne has proven to be a pivotal move for the German manufacturer. One that essentially saved the marque. 

The Three Variations

The general public didn't know about the Cayenne, though, that three variations of the SUV were considered. A coupe, a long-wheelbase three-row variant, and a cabriolet. Of the three, the Cabriolet seems to have been the most seriously considered. The concept was approved all the way up to a 'Package Function Model,' serving to help designers study potential aesthetic and engineering challenges.

Question of Practicality

That's where the project came to a halt, as Porsche decision-makers couldn't justify the drop-top Cayenne.  "An SUV as a convertible is a challenge both aesthetically and formally. An SUV always has a large and heavy body. You combine this with a small top half and then cut off the roof," remarked Porsche's head of design Michael Mauer, "you get very strange shapes emerging from that." 

What If

This great "what if" is a one-off prototype is a fascinating part of Porsche's history. The body features the same front-end design as the regular Cayenne. The body sides and the rear are a different story. At the back, the designers experimented with a couple of different looks. Ultimately, this quirky concept goes down in a long list of interesting Porsche designs that never were.

>>Join the conversation about the Cayenne cabriolet concept right here at Rennlist.com.

>>For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section.