Porsche 2006 Annual Report Download - page 51

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The Boxster was also able to maintain its position
versus its competitors in the roadster market
segment: in the USA it was awarded ‘Editors’ Most
Wanted Vehicle’ by ‘Edmunds’ in its category. In
the same poll, both the 911 Carrera Coupé and the
Carrera Cabriolet were also ranked first in their
categories.
Porsche once again demonstrated its exceptional
design skill in the 911 Targa 4. It was designated
‘Best of the Best’ by the Red Dot Design Museum
at the Design Zentrum in North Rhine Westphalia,
one of the oldest and most highly-reputed design
institutions in Europe. This important commendation
is awarded by an international jury only to leading
products which “are ground-breaking in their field”.
Out of more than 2,500 products entered, a mere
43 were chosen to receive this seal of quality.
The jury, made up of international design experts,
praised the 911 Targa 4’s “creativity, innovative
features and high quality”.
The specialist magazine ‘Auto Bild Sportcars’
elected the Porsche 911 GT3 ‘Sports car 2006’,
while in Great Britain it ranked second place in the
‘Car of the Year 2006’ as voted by ‘evo’ magazine.
The 911 Turbo Coupé, traditionally one of the most
popular Porsche models amongst experts, was
presented with the ‘Best of What’s New’ Award by
‘Popular Science Magazine’ this review year. In a
reader poll on Forbes.com, the 911 Turbo was also
named ‘Favorite German Car’, while in the vote for
‘The best cars of 2007’ in the specialist magazine
‘auto, motor und sport’, the 911 Carrera/Turbo was
awarded first place in the ‘Best sports car overall’
category.
Implementation of Brand Architecture
The implementation of the standard global archi-
tectural design strategy in Porsche dealerships
continued apace in the 2006/07 fiscal year. Over
the last seven years, many locations have been
renovated or newly constructed so that now more
than 90 percent of all dealerships are able to offer
their customers a brand-exclusive showroom.
The dealer network is currently being prepared for
future challenges such as the introduction of the
fourth Porsche model series, the Panamera. Present
data indicates that dealers are now preparing them-
selves for further growth and will make significant
investments in brand presentation over the coming
years. Porsche will continue to set up brand-exclusive
showrooms and, where commercially meaningful,
brand-exclusive branches in order to provide cus-
tomers with the service they expect.
Online Search Facility for Used Cars
To accommodate the increasing importance of the
pre-owned car business, the successful ‘Porsche
Approved’ program was stepped up and further
developed over the course of the year. The program
defines uniform standards for the sales organization.
A wide range of supporting resources is available
for use by dealers to ensure that these standards
are implemented effectively. Customers also benefit
from the opportunity to purchase high-quality vehicles
at competitive prices from qualified staff and receive
the appropriate service packages, including pre-
owned car warranties.
The online search facility is proving increasingly
important as an information and sales channel for
pre-owned cars. The system, which has now been