Like just about every automaker in the industry, Porsche counts China as one of its biggest and most important markets. The German automaker admittedly hasn’t reached the heights it wants in the country, so to remedy that, it’s planning to offer cheaper and less powerful versions of the latest Boxster and Cayman models.
The move comes in the wake of tepid sales for the German automaker’s sports car line, a far cry from the popularity of the Cayenne SUV in the market. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Jan Roth, the head of Porsche’s 718 model line, lamented that the company’s primary issue involves the pricing of the two models. The flat-six version of the Cayman, for example, was priced at 700,000 renminbi, which converts to about $105,000 based on current exchange rates. But according to Roth, Chinese customers are more inclined to purchase a sports car that sells for less than 600,000 (about $90,000), calling the amount the “magical threshold for customers in China.”
So to appease the market, Porsche is planning to develop “China-specific” Boxster and Cayman models to persuade reluctant buyers to consider the two models. Not much is known about how the company plans to specifically package these models, but one certainty is that both base versions of the Boxster and Cayman will utilize a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that produces 250 horsepower. It’s a slight drop in power from the traditional, 275-horsepower base Cayman model that all other markets will have, but it could spell the difference between attracting more Chinese customers to the table, especially if Porsche prices it right at the level that customers are willing to spend for the car.
That’s going to be the big question now that Porsche appears to be gearing up for this move. How much will these two base Boxster and Cayman models be priced? If Roth’s comments are any indication, somewhere in the 600,000 renminbi range is as good a guess as any at this point.
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