Porsche Cayenne: One million and counting
Porsche has built its one millionth Cayenne, just 18 years after the controversial SUV was launched.
An SUV may have once been unthinkable for the iconic sports-car specialist, however it has been crucial to the brand's survival – and financial stability to continue making high-performance cars.
The landmark vehicle (above) – a GTS variant in Carmine Red – was built on Volkswagen Group’s production line in Bratislava, Slovakia, before being delivered to a German customer.
The Cayenne was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2002 and, despite mixed initial reception, is today recognised as the turning point in the then-financially-troubled manufacturer's pilgrimage to profitability.
Now in its third generation, the Cayenne is the second best-selling Porsche model in Australia, with only the smaller Macan SUV proving more popular.
Locally, the Cayenne is priced from $121,300 plus on-road costs, with the range-topping 4.0-litre Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe starting at $297,900 plus on-road costs.
Porsche's iconic 911 sports car – which first went into production in 1963 – took three times as long to reach the same historic milestone, with the one-millionth model delivered in late 2017.