Porsche Considering Diesel-Powered Cayenne and Panamera Models for the U.S.

Porsche officials are exploring the possibility of adding diesel variants to the company's North American lineup to help meet the growing demand for fuel-efficient cars. On sale in Europe since early 2009, the Cayenne diesel could be one contender for the job and may be followed by the Panamera with a diesel engine and a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain.

“We are discussing internally if we should introduce the Cayenne diesel in the U.S. this year. Also a Panamera diesel is an option”, said the brand's sales and marketing chief, Bernhard Maier.

Beside the diesel version, Porsche is also currently selling the Cayenne S Hybrid with the two variants accounting for 30 percent of the model’s total sales worldwide.

Bringing the diesel-powered Cayenne to the States, which is the brand’s biggest single market, could give sales a further boost, after global Porsche deliveries rose by 27% to more than 97,000 units in 2010.

“We expect the diesel and hybrid share to grow further in 2011”, Mr. Maier said.

Citing inside company sources, Autonews Europe reported that the new Panamera variants are expected to be introduced before summer in Europe and could make their world debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in early March.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: ANE

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Porsche Considering Car Production in China or the United States, says the firm’s CEO

Future Porsche models may be made in factories in China or possibly the United States, according to a report from Focus Magazine citing the firm's Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller.

“This year, we are going to discuss whether to start assembly in Asia or North America", Mr Muller told the weekly news magazine. “The main thing is that the car has 'Engineered by Porsche' on it. Where it is produced is no longer so important,” he added. 

The upcoming baby Cayenne SUV model, named Cajun, could be one of the first models to be built outside of Porsche's factories in Leipzig, in eastern Germany and Stuttgart, in the west. 

The German publication said that China is a more likely possibility than the U.S., given that the VW Group already builds the Audi Q5, which will form the basis for the Cajun, at its Changchun plant in northeast China.

The magazine also quoted Mueller as saying that Porsche's medium term goal is to sell as much as 200,000 cars and SUVs per year.

Source: Focus via AFP

*Opening Photo: Sketch of current generation Cayenne SUV

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Russia's Topcar Continues Porsche Cayenne Tune with Vantage 2

It's only been a few weeks since Topcar presented its most recent Porsche Cayenne package called the Vantage GTR2, yet the Russian firm has launched another tuning proposal for the second generation of the German automaker's luxury SUV. The new package is named Vantage 2 and it comes with a wide body kit and a choice of performance upgrades.

On the styling front, the Russian tuner offers a carbon fiber aero kit, which adds a new front bumper with LED daytime lights, beefy side skirts, wheel arch extensions, a concave roof spoiler and a redesigned rear bumper with a diffuser. The carbon fiber mirror housings and newly designed hood with air vents, along with a choice of two different styles for the chunky alloy wheels complete the look.

Topcar can also upgrade the Cayenne's interior with hand crafted leather and special trims.

As for the performance enhancements, the Russian company said it offers a variety of tunes that can push output up to 750-horsepower.

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Merdad's Porsche Cayenne 902 Coupe in the Flesh

Back in September, we reported on the custom-built Porsche Cayenne 902 Coupe that lost two-doors, courtesy of Merdad. Now, the UK-based tuning firm brought to our attention some real life shots of the SUV, which had its world premiere at last month's MPH The Prestige & Performance Motor Show in London.

Starting with the latest generation of the Porsche Cayenne, Merdad chops off the SUV's rear doors and proceeds with the necessary changes to the rest of the body. A comprehensive styling kit with aero parts and a choice of black or silver colored 22-inch alloy wheels along with an electronic lowering module are then added to the 902 Coupe. 

The interior of the two-door Cayenne is swathed in black leather and red Alcantara, plus unique trim and a new steering wheel. 

Being a custom build, Medrad also improves the Porsche's performance offering various upgrades for the Turbo model (550bhp to 750bhp), with the most potent version boasting a 0-60mph sprint time of 4.4 seconds.

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