Porsche 2014 Annual Report Download - page 17

030 031 Annual Report Porsche AG 2014
As each nancial year comes to a close, I’m often asked
about the top highlight for the year gone by. There were
a variety of remarkable achievements from which to
choose, yet the answer is an obvious one for me. The
emotional climax came with Porsche’s return to the
world of high-end motorsports. After 16 years away from
the competition, we developed the 919 Hybrid as our
entrant in the “World Endurance Championship,” all part
of our “Strategy 2018.” We got o to a furious start. In
Le Mans, our 919 Hybrid was in second place before
breaking down shortly the end of the race. The result
was dierent in São Paulo, a race we won. In both cases,
the entire team and I get caught up in every ber of our
being by the fascination that is motorsports.
Naturally we’re all in for victory on the racing track. But
the real goal is bringing the best-possible technology out
onto the streets. Because Porsche welcomes the expec-
tations among its customers that it will provide the most
sporting and technologically advanced vehicles in every
segment it serves. Our model strategy and the spectrum
of models that we produce have in recent years served
as a powerful signal about the future of Porsche as a
company.
No vehicle incorporates this more than the 918 Spyder.
Just a few months after we delivered the rst of these
highly innovative vehicles in March 2014, all 918 of the
units of the supercar were already sold out. It achieved
record times on Germany’s fabled Nürburgring track yet
consumed no more fuel than a compact car, letting our
customers revel in unparalleled technological advance-
ment and giving fans of our brand a new source of
fascination.
This combination of technology and fascination is also
in full force for our new Macan sport SUV. The vehicle
creates an entirely new segment – the compact sport
SUV – which in turn appeals to an entire new range of
customers. The proof is in the Macan’s sales gures: the
Macan is the right vehicle for the right time. The strategic
importance of the series cannot be overstated.
Despite all we’re undertaking, we always remain true
to our roots. Which means the 911 is and will remain
our gold standard when it comes to sports car construc-
tion. We’ll continue to improve this icon constantly. The
LETTER FROM
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
EXECUTIVE BOARD
MATTHIAS MÜLLER
Chairman of the Executive Board
evolution of sports car construction also applies for our
two-seater series, Boxster and Cayman. We will continue
with our consistent expansion of model diversity in these
series. Between already-presented and future derivatives
of our pure-blooded sports car, we oer our customers a
maximum of individual driving pleasure.
We remain driven to push the limits of the technically fea-
sible further than ever before. The fruit of these labours
are unparalleled technology and market prominence.
For example, Porsche was the only marque anywhere in
the world to oer three plug-in models in the premium
segment during 2014. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid was the
rst plug-in hybrid in the Premium-SUV-Segment; the
Panamera S E-Hybrid, which had already been released
onto the market, was the rst plug-in hybrid vehicle in the
luxury class; and the 918 Spyder supercar is loaded with
more cutting-edge technology than any other car. These
technology standard-bearers will benet all future vehicles
with the Porsche insignia on their hood.
Our engineers know today better than ever that eciency
is crucial for the sports cars of the future. Porsche will
continue to pursue this path in future years. Our insights
from motorsports will help us with this. For one thing is
clear: the recipe for success in our vehicles is maximum
energy eciency. That’s what’s behind the “Engineered by
Porsche in Weissach” label.
We can all look forward together to even more highlights
to come from Porsche.
Stuttgart, March 2015
Yours faithfully,
Matthias Müller
Chairman of the Executive Board
DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,