Porsche 2004 Annual Report Download - page 44

Sales40
contains items for customizing all Porsche models, even the Carrera
GT high-performance sports car, since it is felt that a car of this
character should perhaps more than any other reflect the personal
tastes and preferences of its owner.
For the interior, Exclusive can supply high-value materials such as
leather, aluminum, wood or carbon fiber. There is continued strong
demand for aluminum-look parts which recall the lightweight con-
struction of earlier Porsche competition cars. Outside the car, ex-
clusive wheels, stainless steel exhaust tailpipes and ‘Aerokits’ add to
its individuality in much the same way as technical customization in
the form of a sports exhaust system or an increase in power output.
During the review year, items from the Exclusive program in partic-
ularly strong demand were the reduced gear-lever travel kit and
stainless steel exhaust tailpipes for the 911 and the Boxster, and the
sports exhaust system for the 911. More than half of all the 911s
sold are currently supplied with Exclusive options, a sign of the
importance of this range of products.
In the review year as before, the corresponding items for the Cayenne
set new standards in Sport Utility Vehicle customization potential.
They included the SportDesign package, the 20-inch painted Cayenne
SportTechno wheels and the sports exhaust tailpipes, which add
special emphasis to the active driving character of the Cayenne.
The ultimate item in the list is surely the increase in engine output to
500 hp for the Cayenne Turbo.
The Cayenne’s interior can be given a personalized note by the use
of materials such as carbon fiber, leather and wood. A wish expressed
by younger drivers in particular was fulfilled in the 2004/05 fiscal
year in the form of “Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment”, a mobile
electronic TV entertainment system for rear-seat passengers.
Vehicle Retrofitting with Tequipment Products
Porsche’s Tequipment program offers an extensive choice of items
to all customers who wish to retrofit individualized equipment to their
vehicles. The choice of items covers all Porsche model lines, and all
Tequipment products comply with Porsche’s high quality standards
Interest in this program remained high in the review year, resulting in
a continued positive trend in the turnover and earnings situation.
Among the items in the Tequipment product list are sets of wheels
which represent a successful combination of attractive appearance
and an enhanced sports-style driving experience. The new Aerokit
for the 911 also set the standard in design and sports character.
Components are optimized in the wind tunnel for still more outstand-
ing road behavior and the increase in driving pleasure which this
implies. In the review year the Aerokit Cup established itself success-
fully in the market, as did the sports exhaust system and chrome-
plated stainless steel exhaust tailpipes for the 911 and the sports
exhaust tailpipes for the Boxster. Demand for these items exceeded
expectations, and the Tequipment program for the Cayenne also
developed in an extremely positive way. The launch of the Cayman S
should result in a further increase in the demand for individual etro-
fitted equipment.
Porsche Travel Club offers Attractive Destinations
In its ninth year, the Porsche Travel Club once again offered a fasci-
nating means of accessing the World of Porsche. The Club’s program
includes individual guided tours in Porsche vehicles and special
arrangements for companies who wish to offer incentive programs
to selected customers or successful members of their staff.
Weekend offers from the Porsche Travel Club, with participants
driving Porsche sports cars along attractive routes to interesting
destinations in various parts of Europe, have proved especially
popular, and are being taken up increasingly by customers from
other parts of the world.
There was once again strong demand in the review year for the
“Camp4” international winter training camp and the advanced
“Camp4 S” training on the Arctic Circle in Finland, the “Desert Safari”
held in Dubai and the “Camp Cayenne” off-road training sessions
that take place in Bassella, in the Spanish Pyrenees.
At “Camp4” and “Camp4 S” in Lapland, drivers advised by Porsche
instructors practice driving close to the limit on snow and ice. In Dubai,
they can improve their driving skills in the Cayenne on oasis tracks
and sand dunes extending over into Oman, again with the support of
experienced instructors. “Camp Cayenne” offers a similar program
on the twisting roads and mountain tracks of the Pyrenees.
Porsche’s Sports Driving School is Popular
For more than thirty years the Sports Driving School has offered
customers and friends of the Porsche brand an opportunity to improve
their driving skills on famous international racetracks and become
more familiar with their cars’ reactions close to the performance and
handling limits. The Porsche Sports Driving School already conducts
safety training in more than ten major markets and proved to be
increasingly popular in the review year.
Those who attend one of the Sports Driving School’s standardized
training programs can acquire theoretical knowledge and practical
skills at various levels, from the simple basic courses through ad-
vanced and professional training to special-purpose courses. The
aims are safe driving on the public highway and the ability to take
part in competitive events on the racetrack.
Training is conducted by experienced Porsche instructors, either on
the company’s own breaking-in track and proving ground at the
Leipzig production plant or on well-known Formula One circuits such
as Hockenheim, the Nürburg Ring, Imola, Magny-Cours and Suzuka.
The Travel Club is an interesting way of accessing the world of Porsche –
from guided tours through arrangements for business clients, in all cases
with a memorable driving experience as the key element.