Porsche Rolls Out 500,000th Vehicle at Leipzig Factory

Nashua, 07/11/2012 / SubmitMyPR /

Ten years after Porsche first raised eyebrows by opening its Leipzig, Germany factory to produce its first-ever SUV, the Cayenne, the automaker has reached a major milestone, rolling out its 500,000th vehicle at the plant. While many critics were initially skeptical about whether the Porsche Cayenne would find success, the crossover has since become the brand’s bestseller.

Porsche’s Leipzig plant has also produced the Panamera sport sedan since 2009, but appropriately it was a special version of the Cayenne that hit the facility’s half-a-million mark. Built as a gift command vehicle for the Leipzig fire brigade, the landmark Porsche was painted white and outfitted with a custom red foil wrap and light bar. Porsche President and CEO Matthias Muller presented the keys of the vehicle to the lord mayor of Leipzig as a token of appreciation for the city’s role in making the Cayenne and Panamera successful.

“Before the Leipzig factory opened, Porsche was purely a brand of incredible two-door sports cars, but now it has fully established a reputation for high-performance in the SUV and sedan segments,” said Larry Bedell, general manager of Porsche of Nashua, a New Hampshire Porsche dealer. “The Cayenne is perfect for New Hampshire buyers with its precise handling and snow-ready all-wheel-drive, while the Panamera lets its owners enjoy engaging acceleration with their family onboard.”

As the Cayenne continues to sell quickly in showrooms, Porsche is planning to expand its SUV lineup with a new entry-level compact crossover called the Macan. Slated for production at the Leipzig plant in late 2013, the new Porsche Macan is expected to double the automaker’s global SUV sales by 2014, according to a forecast by IHS Automotive.

Porsche’s Panamera, the automaker’s second-best-selling vehicle, has also been living up to high expectations after leaving the Leipzig factory, recently placing in the top three of the Large Premium Car segment in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS). To determine both segment and overall brand leaders, J.D. Power surveyed more than 74,000 owners and lessees of 2012-model-year vehicles after they had spent 90 days with their new ride.

Even with all of Porsche’s success in the SUV and sedan markets, the J.D. Power IQS shows that the automaker hasn’t forgotten its roots. The iconic Porsche 911 scored first in the survey’s Premium Sporty segment, topping the BMW 6 Series. Overall, drivers rated the Porsche brand second out of 34 automakers in this year’s IQS.

“Many people don’t realize that the added sales of the Cayenne and Panamera have allowed Porsche to invest a lot more into the development of cutting-edge racers like the seventh-generation 911,” added Bedell. “Porsche may be branching out into different segments, but at the end of the day its inspiration comes from high-performance sports cars.”

About Porsche of Nashua:
A 2010 and 2011 Premier Porsche Dealer, Porsche of Nashua delivers customer service equal to the quality of the Porsche brand. For new and used Porsche sales, Porsche service and Porsche parts, choose the New Hampshire Porsche dealership that stands out from the rest. Interested Porsche shoppers can browse their inventory online at www.porschenashua.com, find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/porscheofnashua, call them at 603-578-3744 or visit their dealership at 170 Main Dunstable Road in Nashua, N.H. Discover what a premier automotive buying and servicing experience can be at Porsche of Nashua.