Porsche Cayenne Cabrio, the history of the convertible SUV that never saw the light Most Reliable Car Brands

That Porsche has explored different segments and niche bodies is undeniable. The German firm has dared with everything that has been put forward, something else has been its end. A new secret reveals the intentions he had for a Porsche Cayenne Cabrio at the beginning of 2000. We know that car brands explore all possibilities to stand out and distinguish themselves from the competition. Porsche is one of the manufacturers that invests the most in internal studies, although later they do not materialize. Years ago it explored the option of launching a sports compact, a model that would have surprised and turned the segment upside down, something that it ruled out due to its high price and that it preferred to occupy with the 718 Cayman. The firm dared with the Cayenne, a model considered a very illegitimate product but that, far from paying attention to purists and others, went ahead with everything, getting away with it and with a perfect play that adds up to thousands of units. What we did not know, and they have declassified now that two decades have passed since the launch of the sports SUV, is that the German brand explored a Porsche Cayenne Cabrio based on the first generation of 2002. The rear of the Porsche Cayenne Cabrio prototype shows two proposals for designPrototype of the Porsche Cayenne Cabrio 2002Go ahead that convertibles are niche models in themselves and for very capricious customers, much more in an SUV, not an SUV like the first Cayenne. There are differences between the two concepts, and the first generation was an off-roader capable of overcoming the most complicated obstacles, including even a gearbox. The department in charge of the development of the Cayenne proposed not only a conventional variant, but three more: a coupé, a variant elongated 200 millimeters to accommodate 7 seats and a Cabriolet. The first has been kept in a drawer until the third generation, the second was discarded and the third was on the table of those responsible for the brand for a long time. Just enough for the designers to create the relevant full-scale model. A “PFM”, as they call it at Porsche, that has no driving functionality. The Porsche Cayenne celebrates 20 years discovering hidden secrets of the first SUV Read news However, what was a production challenge became an odyssey, because the fact of Removing the roof panel required a series of very important reinforcements: in the A-pillars that, in addition, were delayed and more inclined, in addition to increasing the size of the doors by 200 millimeters by eliminating the rear ones. Another big problem was the canvas roof, the subject of discussion if a simple roll-up canvas and manual assembly -and disassembly- or a tilting system in the shape of a «Z», in the style of the 911 «A convertible SUV is a challenge in aesthetic terms . The SUV always has a big, heavy body, and to combine this with a small canvas roof, you end up with weird things,” says new head of design Michael Mauer. , because one of the keys was a differentiated personality compared to the production model and more familiar. The stylists suggested two proposals for the rear area, with the rear lights higher or lower. Of course, none came to fruition. And although the Range Rover Evoque Cabrio and the Nissan Murano CrossCabrio did sell in Europe, and in the United States, the success achieved by the Cayenne in its first generation, which swept away, more than made up for the fact that it was not the first premium brand in the world with a convertible SUV.