No-show for V6 Porsche

The Cayenne V6-powered SUV is on sale now for $97,400.

According to Porsche press relations manager Paul Ellis it is the first Porsche under $100,000 for about 20 years and the cheapest in real terms in the company's modern history.

However, the vehicle which is tipped to be its most successful was not available to drive at the national launch in the Victorian Alps last week.

Ellis said some were in the country for sale, but none was available for the press launch.

It seems Porsche in Germany demands they run in press cars before they are released and with limited time available only the Cayenne S ($134,500) and top-of-the-range Cayenne Turbo ($215,200) were chosen for the launch.

Ellis said the press vehicles had to be especially flown out for the launch.

"We have nothing to hide in the V6," Ellis said. "A lot of the marketing will revolve around the V6."

Porsche Australia managing director Michael Winkler said they chose the high performance models so it wouldn't "confuse" the press.

While the Cayenne S has 283kW of power and the Turbo has 368kW, the V6, called simply the Cayenne, delivers 213kW and weighs 2160kg, which means a power-to-weight ratio of 10.1kg/kW. This compares with the low-output V6 Holden Commodore which has figures of 186kW, 1570kg and 8.4kg/kW.

Winkler admitted the V6 Cayenne would be slower than a Commodore but said it would be faster than its competitors.

He said the V6 Cayenne had created a lot of interest among customers, especially since it looked almost identical to the Cayenne S.

He said supply would be controlled so the V6 did not represent more than 30 per cent of all Cayenne sales, or 150. Cayenne S would be about 50 per cent or 220 and Turbo 20 per cent or 90, he said. Porsche expects SUV sales to reach 460 this year. When released here in 2003, Cayenne was the most popular Porsche, selling 442, compared with 417 911s and 328 Boxsters and Caymans.

In its first full year of sales in 2004, it sold 562, compared with 380 for the 911 and 322 for Boxster and Cayman.

However, 911 has since climbed back to the top with sales of Cayenne down to 414 in 2005 and 332 last year.

"We're not interested in setting sales records," Winkler said.

"We want to remain an exclusive brand and maintain resale value which leads to buyers coming back."

Winkler said in the US, customers optioned up the V6 much more than V8 which meant that instead of a 25 per cent price difference it was about eight per cent.

"I`m not sure if that will happen here." he said.