Promising that it will live up to the spiciness the name implies, Porsche has announced that the SUV it will sell in 2002 will be called the Cayenne.
"The name Cayenne is understood worldwide as synonymous for spiciness, adventure and joie de vivre," says Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, chairman of the board of management for Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG.
As it happens, "These attributes perfectly describe the characteristics of the upcoming off-road sport utility vehicle, which will be the third model range in the company's offerings after the 911 Carrera and Boxster."
Wiedeking continues, "Cayenne is associated with particularly spirited qualities. As was the case with the name Carrera, which is the Spanish word for race, Porsche has chosen to name its sport utility vehicle after a living term, which is immediately understood in almost every language."
With Carrera, Turbo, Targa and Boxster, says Wiedeking, "We have given our sports cars names which are now not only associated inseparably with the Porsche brand name, but also make a decisive contribution to the strong image and success of these products. So the name of our new sport utility vehicle must be of substance and must reflect the Porsche product philosophy -- in this case, not only on the road but also off-road."
Porsche's boss says, "We are convinced that the combination of Porsche and Cayenne as a model designation radiates true strength, dynamism, fascination and emotion and will continue the great tradition of legendary names."
The Porsche Cayenne is being produced in a new factory in Leipzig, Germany, and Porsche expects to sell more than 25 000 units a year around the world. It is not clear yet how many Canada will get, but it will not be many since it is going to be a pricey as well as a spicy product.