PORSCHE

The Cayenne convertible version that never left the brand's factory

From the start, Porsche considered different alternatives to the Cayenne's classic five-door SUV bodywork. Shortly after the launch of the first generation in December 2002, three additional versions were being considered: a coupe, a version elongated by 20 centimeters and with a third row of seats, as well as a convertible.

Surprisingly, what might have seemed the less conventional option, an approximately 4.8 meter long convertible based on the Cayenne, was not immediately ruled out, but an example was built. Today, there is still only one Cayenne convertible in the Porsche Museum. However, it is not a unit to be driven by road, but a model that can be driven in facilities closed to traffic. Designers removed the roof, but dispensed with the necessary rigidity measures for a cabriolet body. Unable to provide safe and stable driving, the vehicle is transported to its destination when needed. Driving tests were never planned, as this unit was made simply to evaluate four criteria.

Is it possible to sit comfortably in the rear of the vehicle when the roof is lowered in a coupe shape and when the windshield and A-pillars are shorter? Is the Cayenne practical as a two-door model that is 20 centimeters longer? Is it possible to incorporate a stylish, high-quality canvas top that can also be folded up quickly? And, how should the back be designed? In 2002 there was still no agreement on this last issue and two different rear sections were designed. In one of them, the left rear lantern was placed in a lower position, while in the other it was much higher.

Top mechanism as on the current 911 Targa...If the car had reached production, it would obviously have opted for a single rear design and the technical problems would no doubt have been resolved. A roof mechanism was already designed that is now familiar: the trunk lid of this prototype Cayenne had hooks both at the front and at the rear, which allowed it to be opened in both directions. The top would move over the fixed safety arch and be housed in the rear, where the trunk lid would open in the opposite direction, and this top would fold into a Z shape. This is a solution similar to that of the Porsche. 911 Targa, starting from the 991 generation model. However, the engine never made it beyond the computer simulation stage for the Cayenne convertible and was not fully built. Today, the canvas top is stored in the trunk of the museum piece and must be placed manually if necessary.

Although the 2002 coupe idea was later picked up and implemented in 2019 in a successful production Cayenne, Porsche did not go ahead with the convertible alternative. Profitability predictions were not particularly encouraging and there were doubts as to whether the car would be as attractive as a Porsche should be. “A convertible SUV is quite a challenge from both an aesthetic and a formal point of view,” explains Michael Mauer, who was not yet in charge of design in 2002, reviewing the concept today. “An SUV always has a big, heavy body. If you combine that with a small top half of the vehicle and then you cut the roof off, you get very strange shapes.”

Autonews