As ever, the best entry-level Porsche is a used one, but customers in China have a new alternative to the second-hand route. The company’s head of 718-series cars, Jan Roth, told Automotive News the move is aimed to bring the lineup’s local purchase price to below 600,000 renminbi (~$90,500 USD), described as a “magical threshold” in the country.
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The brand that has built a reputation over the years for powerful, fun-to-drive sports cars is doing the opposite in hopes of boosting sales in China.
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China is Porsche’s biggest single market, but buyers there seem more enamoured of its SUVs than its sports cars – the report adds that sales of the Cayenne is around 16 times higher than that of the 911, and so it’s hoping to spark interest in the sports vehicle segment by going low with the 718 duo. To protect resale values of the older generation, China is the only global market where the base versions of the Boxster and Cayman have a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine producing 250 hp. The new 718 Cayman joins the Boxster in Chinese dealerships in early December. In other parts of the world like Europe and the USA, the 718 Boxster and Cayman come in 300- and 350-hp versions. As an example, Porsche sells 16 times more Cayennes in China than it does 911s.
