Yeah, I agree. The Porsche SUV is just a big fast grocery getter.

I told myself I was going to stay out of this... but I never listen. So here goes.

Let me preface this by saying I have been a Porsche owner for the past 38 years, owning various models including 912's, 911's, a 911-S, and currently a 930 Turbo Carrera.

People, Porsches are just CARS. Admittedly, some of the best performing cars in the world, but nonetheless, just cars.

What difference does it make that they have expanded their lineup, and not too coincidentally made it possible for them to survive as an independent automaker? Do you think that the performance of the sports car line has diminished because Porsche has a new factory building other types of cars?

Have you looked at the performance specifications of the Cayenne? I daresay that few of us on this bbs currently own cars that could keep up with one, and I include acceleration, braking, and cornering. So tell me: Porsche is building a vehicle that out-performs our cars (and that certainly outperforms any other SUV on the market), and this is a bad thing because it isn't a rear-engined two-seat car?

You guys are the same kind of people who complained bitterly in 1963 when Porsche brought out the 901 (subsequently renamed 911 after a threatened lawsuit from Peugeot who had trademarked the #0# model nomenclature) because they got rid of the link-pin/swing-arm suspensions of the 356 series and went to a six cylinder engine, completely abandoning the heritage of Dr. Porsche's original creation.

Do you complain about the Corvette because Chevrolet also manufactures Suburbans?

Would I buy one? No. Not because a SUV is a slur on the sacred name of Porsche; but because I don't have any need for a large, 4WD vehicle. (The fact that the damn thing costs more than my house is also a factor.)

Porsche will not only survive this, but will prosper.

tanstaafl.