Luxury Exceptionalism: The Porsche Brand

 In continuing our blog series on our adoration of automobile brands that embody the very definition of high luxury which, by the way, started with a feel good story about an incredibly personalized Bugatti as a gift of love  to a spouse.  

Growing up in Detroit, it’s nearly impossible to not be influenced by the culture and influence of the automobile industry.  Especially when most of your family or friends’ families were employees of “The Big Three” or their Suppliers, whether employed as managers, designers, engineers, or assembly line workers.   

As a young child, I was raised in a “Buy America” environment, even though my adult years of car buying has led to constant experimentation in purchasing and driving a number of different makes and models both import and export, as long as the car’s reputation excelled in beautiful craftsmanship and was exciting to drive.   Certainly as a co-founder of a luxury leather company, my profession leads me to study high net worth individuals’ attraction to certain automobiles that demands prestige and exclusivity.

High-end automobiles fall into a number of categories ranging from entry-level luxury to ultra-luxury and depending on the origin of the country of the automaker that will determine their definition of luxury.   The ultra or super luxury segment of cars will have a price tag of more than $100,000 US dollars and these brands will certainly include the powerhouses of Rolls Royce and Bentley.    The popularity of ultra-luxury and super performance cars has grown exponentially among the wealthy markets of Russia, China, and Middle Eastern countries.

Recently, I have been in the market for a new car and have been drawn to several luxury automobiles.   One brand in particular that has been on the radar is Porsche because it checks off a lot of boxes especially in the areas of elegance and exceptional craftsmanship. 

So far, the test drive experience has involved three types of Porsche:   Cayenne (the practical choice for Michigan winter driving), the Panamera (sedan opulence) and the Cayman (fulfilling the sports car passion).

Without a doubt, getting behind the wheel of a Porsche exudes feelings of invincibility when whipping by other cars with an air of intense perfection.  A thrilling and extraordinary driving experience to say the least!

Porsche’s Backstory

·         Founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931 as an independent design and engineering firm who designed the Volkswagen Beetle.  Being visionary, Ferdinand developed the Lohner-Porsche, a gas-powered race car and hybrid vehicle  that ran on electricity and gas. 

·        In the late 30s to mid 40s, his son, Ferdinand (Ferry) helped grow the company (during a dark moment in Porsche’s history – as his father was imprisoned for exploiting forced labor to manufacture armored vehicles for the Nazis)  and was instrumental in introducing the first sports car, the 356 using components from the Volkswagen Beetle. 10,000 models were sold by 1956.

·        In 1964, after years of success with the several models including the 550 Spyder, and doing a redesign of the 356, the company launched the famous Porsche 911 that saw success on the race track and in rallies, which ultimately increased overall sales.

·        Porsche became a public company in 1972 under Ferry Porsche, spearheaded by their top of the line 911 Carrera.

·        Porsche became the first German car company to manufactur front Passenger airbags as a standard feature 

·        The Boxster went into production in 1995

·        2002 the company unveiled its plans for the Cayenne series, their first SUV

·        2009, the year of Ferry Porsche’s 100th birthday, the company released their four-door model Panamera, an exceptional combination of a sports car with a luxury vehicle

·        2011 – the unveiling of the 918 Spyder Hybrid 

·        2021 introduced the Electric Taycan Cross Turismo

·        60 years of complex government regulations and acquisitions resulted in Volkswagen Group being the current parent company of Porsche (among other luxury brands including Audi, Bently, Bugatti, Lamaborghini and Ducati motorcycles)  and simultaneously majority owned by the Austrian Porsche-Piech family.  

Porsche’s campuses consist of:

                 –    Porsche nucleus is located in Zuffenhausen, Germany where all the Sports Cars and all  Porsche engines are built. Quality Management and Logistics are also housed at this location.

                –       Weissach Germany: the home of the Porsche Research & Development Centre

                –       Ludwigsburg: the site of Porsche’s After Sales experts.

                –       Leipzig: considered, one of the most state-of-the- art automobile sites in the world is where the Panamera and Macan models are produced, it also houses a test track for owners collecting their Porsche at the factory, and a certified racetrack  and off-road track for training.

·        Its modern single-line concept and manufacturing  philosophy is to focus on the human being.  In other words, each employee should carry out as many work steps as possible, and in principle, each step should be able to be deployed throughout the entire plant.
Porsche uses robots specifically where absolute repeatability is critical and all tools and process are designed to support people in their work.

·        Porsche’s Horse’s Logo is tied to the coat of Arms of a prancing horse representing the Free People’s State of Wurttemberg of Weimar Germany. Stuttgart being its capital.

A Few Notable Porsches 

There are special edition cars that usually ranging from one-off custom creations to accredited Motorsport stars of racing.  This rare group includes:

·        Avid Porsche collector and comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s (only 2 made) owns the Porsche 993 Speedster, the other owner is Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson Ferdinand Alexander Porsche as a  60th birthday gift

·        Porsche 356B Abarth Carrera GTL (20 or 21 Units made) – this car competed and won in its class at the 1960 24 hours of Le Mans

·        The Porsche 356 American Roadster (16 Units made) unveiled in 1953 built exclusively for the North American market 

·        Actor Kenau Reeves owns a collection of Porsches, including a custom 911 Carrera 4S to replace his stolen Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (Type 993).

Link to Hotcars.com for  Full List

2022 Model List

718 Models  

·        Prices range from the 718 Cayman starting at  $60,500 to the 718 Boxster starting at  $89,500


911 Models
  

·        Carrera & Targa models – prices range from the 911 Carrera starting at $101,200 to 911 Targa 4 GTS starting at  $156.800 

·        911 Turbo Models – prices range from the 911 Turbo starting at $174,300 to  911 Turbo S Cabriolet starting at $219,800

·        911 GT3 Models starting at  $161,100


Taycan Models
 

·        Prices range from the Taycan starting at $82,700 to the Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo starting at $187,600


Macan Models

·        Prices range from the Macan starting at $54,900 to the Macan Turbo starting at $84,600


Cayenne Models

·        Prices range from the  Cayenne starting at $69,000 to the Cayenne Turbo GT starting at $180,800

Panamera Models

·        Prices range from the Panamera starting at $84,400 to the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Executive from $200,200

The Porsche Experience

Porsche offers several exclusive programs to create and maintain ongoing customer loyalty to their brand from Day One when the car is driven off the factory property:      

·         Porsche Passport allows consumers to access Porsche vehicles through subscribing to the service, rather than owning or leasing a vehicle

·         Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur – Bespoke program to fulfill new owners ideas and personality to their custom one off Porsche in both aesthetics and technical elements or restoring older models

·         Porsche Travel Experience – Planned wanderlust road destinations to experience while driving your Porsche

 

·         Porsche Track Experience – learning to drive your Porsche at different levels of skills training at 19 worldwide track locations

·         Porsche Race Experience – the opportunity to test your racing skills on one of Europe’s Grand Prix Circuits with your own car or a rental

·         Porsche Ice Experience – For winter driving enthusiasts who want to experience the ultimate in skills training and vehicle control on prepared ice rinks in Northern Finland

·         Porsche Design – Founded by Ferry’s son Ferdinand, this lifestyle brand is one of the top high-end men’s accessories and licensing company for Porsche.  It covers fashion and sports, eye-wear, bags & luggage, timepieces, electronics, and other accessories.

As with all of our blogs, this particular series is written to open up the world of luxury ‘according to Beau Satchelle’, as we continue to edge our way into the exclusive world of affluent buyers with our luxury leather accessories.  It is our way of sharing our personal journey in studying particular brands that strive for perfection when offering their goods or services.   -AJ

BONUS:  For 911 fans and devotees, a new documentary on YouTube released this year by WELT documentary does a thorough job of telling the compelling story of Porsche’s most iconic car along with how the current generation 911 is made.  Enjoy!

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below or on Twitter!
 

A very special thank you to the following sites for the incredible source material:

Porsche.com

Hotcars.com – 10 Rarest Porsches Every Made

Thank you these photographers for enhancing this week’s blog with their outstanding photo work:
 

Adam Nieścioruk – Porsche Tan Interior

Aleander Schimmeck – Porsche stored in Motor Home

Valdemaras Januŝka – Leather straps hood accessories made for certain 356 and 550 Spyders

Justus Menke – White Taycan Turbo S

Peter Miranda – Porsche Panamera

Mazouzi Abdeladim – Porsche’s Wheels

Abdulla Binmassam – Porsche 911 GT3

Tush Yad – Porsche’s headquarters and main factory

Irishashih  – exhibit car in the Porsche Museum

Wetrace – 356 Leather Interior

Peter H  – SUV Cayenne

Martin Ecker –  Porsche 356 1500 Carrerra

Christo Anestev – Porshe’s Iconic Emblem

Toby Parsons – Carrerra GT Interior

Rodrigo Vidal – 911 Black and Red Leather Interior

Cambell – Black Panamera

Faruk Akçam –  In the Driver’s seat

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