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Porsche sales hit hard by economic crisis, Boxster fares worst

 
2 2,443 views Mar 2, 2009

2010 porsche cayman facelift 009

The 2.0L TFSI engine in the Audi TTS delivers 265hp (198kW) and 258lb-ft (350Nm) of torque

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Porsche, the once unassailable leader in the sports car segment, has proven that it is not completely shielded from the current economic crisis sweeping the globe. In an official statement, Porsche has revealed that the first six-months of the 2008/2009 financial year have not exactly been smooth sailing.

Earlier this year Porsche experienced an overall 27% decline in sales, and the latest communication from the company reveals that its mid-engined roadster, the Boxster, has been the hardest hit with sales down around 60%, from almost 10,000 units last year to barely 4,000 units this year. Meanwhile, sales of the 911 also fell, but not quite as dramatically as that of the Boxster. Last year Porsche sold 16,261 examples of the 911, and this year they managed to sell 13,543, marking a drop in sales of around 15%.

Porsche blames the fall in sales on the "general downwards trend of the global automotive industry", and the extremely poor performance of the Boxster is expected to improve when the facelifted Boxster and Cayman models are able to regain ground again in the second half of the financial year.

Meanwhile, the company is also expecting sales of its Cayenne to improve with the introduction of a new diesel model which arrived at dealers just a few days ago. Compared to last year, sales of the Cayenne have fallen by around 15%, but the new diesel model should see the hedonistic sports SUV enter the public's good books soon enough.
2010 Porsche Cayman and Boxster

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Comments (2)

  1. ma_Jeremy Clarkson's twin avatar Jeremy Clarkson's twin Posted: 3/3/2009 12:29am PST

    From what I have seen most Boxster owners use it as a stepping stone to the 911 and since it is cheaper I would assume more people would try to "just afford" it by leasing it. So it's no surprise that with the credit markets screwed by the Repugnicans that the sales would be lower.
     
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  2. ma_Jim avatar Jim Posted: 3/3/2009 6:08am PST

    It's been my contention for a while that the near-luxury segment, of which the Boxster/Cayman is priced in the mid to top of, will be the part of the auto market that will be most impacted by the changes in the economy in the long term. Bonus money and housing refinance often paid for these cars.
     
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