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By Moses Akaigwe
Porsche achieved a record result for the first three quarters by delivering 217,198 vehicles worldwide {between January and September 2021}. This represented a 13 per cent increase for the sports car manufacturer.
Demand rose across all sales regions, with the Asia-Pacific, Africa and Middle East region recording a 12-percent growth with more than 97,000 new car deliveries.
The brand is represented in Nigeria by Porsche Centre Lagos.
“The very high demand for our sports cars continued into the third quarter and we are delighted to have been able to supply so many cars to customers during the first nine months of the year,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.
He further remarked, “The order books are nicely filled and are, in turn, filling us with optimism and enthusiasm as we approach the year-end rush. However, the coronavirus situation remains dynamic and we are facing challenges in sourcing semiconductors. For these reasons, we are keeping a very close eye on current developments to ensure that we can continue to react in a flexible manner.”
The Porsche Cayenne remains the most successful model, with 62,451 vehicles delivered, followed by the Macan with 61,944 units, a 12 per cent increase. The fully electric Taycan was also extremely popular, with 28,640 cars being delivered to customers. Now in its second full year on the market, it is on a par with the iconic 911 sports car, 27,972 of which were delivered in the first three quarters – an increase of ten per cent.
The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman were purchased by 15,916 customers, which represents a rise of one per cent compared to the same period last year. Deliveries of the Panamera also remained firmly at the previous year’s level with 20,275 examples – an increase of one per cent.
Increased demand in all sales regions
Once again, the largest increase was seen in the US: Porsche delivered 51,615 vehicles there in the first nine months, which represents an increase of 30 per cent compared with the same period last year. Across the American continent as a whole, Porsche made a total of 63,025 deliveries, 29 per cent more than in the first three quarters of 2020.
China, which is the largest single market, contributed 69,789 vehicles to the total number delivered, an increase of 11 per cent. In total, deliveries to Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East increased by 12 per cent. Porsche cars were delivered to 97,841 customers in these regions. Porsche’s sports cars also enjoyed great popularity in Europe: 56,332 vehicles were delivered to customers, an increase of two per cent on the previous year. In Germany, demand increased by nine per cent between January and September, with 19,099 units delivered.
Meanwhile, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 is getting a big brother: the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. The new top model of the 718 family is well prepared for its world premiere in November. During final testing and evaluation drives, the first 718 to carry the RS badge has impressively demonstrated its dynamic potential both on twisty mountain roads and on the racetrack.
Brand ambassador and development driver, Jörg Bergmeister, has lapped the 20.832-kilometre Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in a lightly disguised production car in 7:09.300 minutes. The 718 Cayman GT4 RS completed the shorter 20.6 km lap, which had previously served as the benchmark, in 7:04.511 minutes – 23.6 seconds faster than its little brother, the 718 Cayman GT4.
To protect the driver, the mid-engined sports car was equipped with a racing seat. The tyres fitted to the car were Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, which will be optionally available. A notary confirmed the standard condition and weight of the car.
“During development, we gave the 718 Cayman GT4 RS everything that characterises a genuine RS: lightweight construction, more downforce, more power and, of course, an even higher level of responsiveness and feedback to driver inputs. The fantastic lap time of the Nordschleife is impressive proof of how clearly noticeable these improvements in driving dynamics are,” says Directors GT Model Line, Andreas Preuninger.
“Our customers can look forward to a pure driver’s car that makes a thrilling driving experience an absolute priority.”
