Porsche 2007 Annual Report Download - page 50

This vote represents the continuation of a tradition
for the 911 Carrera. In 32 polls held since 1977,
the Porsche 911 and its Turbo and 911 Convertible
variants have accumulated 37 victories in their
respective categories. In November 2007, the
Porsche 911 also won the “Auto Trophy” of the
specialist magazine “Autozeitung” in the categories
“Best sports car” and “Best convertible above
30,000 Euro”.
Porsche’s sports cars were not the only vehicles
to go from strength to strength in fiscal 2007/08.
The second generation Cayenne also received
numerous awards. Readers of the specialist ma-
gazine “Off Road” voted the sporty off-roader the
best of its class in February 2008, repeating the
result of the previous year. The poll has been held
every year since 1982 for off-road vehicles, with
this year seeing almost 60,000 readers voting
on 87 vehicles in eight categories. The reception
of the Cayenne in new growth markets is shown
by the “People’s Choice Award of the Year” from
“Auto World Magazine” in China. The “China Trad-
ing Center for Automobile Import” named the
vehicle as the “Best Imported SUV of 2007”.
The Company was also successful in the vote for
the engine of the year. The turbo drive of the 911
enabled Porsche to beat strong competition to
receive the coveted “Best Performance Engine
Award” in the year under review. The distinction
has been awarded by the British trade magazine
“Engine Technology International” for the last
ten years. Porsche had already come out on top
a year earlier in the three to four-liter engines
category, with the 3.6 liter Boxer engine with
turbocharger and an output of up to 530 hp in
the 911 GT2, even winning in the open displace-
ment volume category. The jury consisted of
65 journalists specializing in the field of vehicle
drive systems.
Sales organization continues to grow
Porsche has been constantly expanding its inter-
national sales organization for years. There are
now 670 dealerships serving customers in 107
countries. With sixteen separate sales companies
plus regional offices, Porsche is represented in
the most important markets and regions. In ad-
dition to opening up new market opportunities
for Porsche, the introduction of the fourth model
series, the Gran Turismo Panamera, also in-
creases the demands placed on the sales organi-
zation as well as its complexity. While reinforcing
Porsche’s presence in growth markets such as
China, Russia or the Middle East is a key objective,
it is also essential that efforts to raise the pro-
fessionalism of Porsche’s image in established
markets continue.
Eight years after the introduction of the Porsche
brand architecture, the classic design elements
have proven to be an important factor for success.
Vehicles are now presented in an exclusive show-
room at more than 90 percent of all locations. The
design concept with the largely enclosed front and
compact form also provides the best conditions
for energy-efficient buildings around the world,
whatever the climate.
The large number of construction projects begun
and completed in the year under review not only
impressively shows that the sales organization is
undertaking intensive preparations for the Pana-
mera, but also highlights local partners’ faith in the
Porsche brand. In addition to a range of projects
at new sites in China, the Middle East and Russia,
new construction and renovation projects were
also realized in established markets.
As part of the “Road to Panamera” initiative, all
dealerships and workshops are assessed in terms
of their compliance with standards, process spe-
cifications and guidelines for the new model series.
This is to prepare the sales organization for the
requirements of the new customer segment.
The maintenance of the Porsche Centers was an
additional focus of construction work in fiscal
2007/08. The long useful life makes continuous
upkeep of buildings important. The projects help
dealers keep their buildings in a condition that
reflects Porsche’s typically high standards.
Pre-owned vehicle sales up
The increasing importance of the pre-owned vehicle
trade led Porsche to continue work on the suc-
cessful worldwide “Porsche Approved” program.
Customers benefit from quality vehicles at com-
petitive prices with excellent service, for example
with a pre-owned vehicle guarantee that is as good
as a new vehicle guarantee. The annual increase
in sales confirms the appeal of this offer. The pre-
owned vehicle guarantee was upgraded in January
2008, and customers can now obtain a guarantee
with a two-year term. One innovation is an indivi-
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