The Porsche Macan->ke2674 has proven to be quite a popular model in the U.S. At least its popular enough that the crossover is already sold out for the year and a wait of more than six months faces every interested buyer of Porsche->ke1's surprisingly popular SUV. So what to do if you want a Macan and you're faced with that excruciatingly long wait? Well, how about short-term leases on the Boxster->ke570 or the Cayman->ke5?
According to Automotive News, that's the strategy Porsche Cars North America is employing. While customers wait for the arrival of their Macans, they can take advantage of short-term leases on the two Porsche sports cars->ke506. At the very least, the open-ended lease eases the wait until the Macan arrives.
The dilemma is serious enough for the company to take this kind of step. Porsche Cars North America CEO Detlev von Platen indicated that a majority of the Macan's customer base are first-time buyers of the German brand and making them wait so long isn't a good introduction to the Porsche brand.
With this lease program, customers can still enjoy other Porsche models until their Macan orders are filled. It's a bold and risky move, but Porsche is banking on customers liking the idea.
Click past the jump to read more about the Porsche Macan.
Why It Matters
Porsche probably didn't expect the Macan to be this popular, but it's a good problem to have. Demand is strong enough that the company has taken steps to ensure that customers don't storm out of dealerships when they learn about the wait. Add to that the fact that Porsche gives customers the chance to fall in love with Boxster and the Cayman, while making some money in the meantime. It's a win-win.
Prices for the Macan, Boxster, and Cayman are all in the same ballpark so signing up for these short-term leases on the latter two models won't cost a customer more than what he/she would have paid for a Macan lease. As of 7/3/2014, Porsche has not revealed the terms of these leases.
Porsche Macan
After a long teasing game that saw its share of frustrated Porsche fans, the German automaker finally released the new Macan crossover at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. In case you're wondering, the automaker used the 'Macan' name because of its Indonesian translation to 'tiger', or in their own words, a crossover that's "powerful and ready to pounce at any time, yet light-footed and tenacious on off-road terrain."
The Porsche Macan is powered by a 3.0-liter, V-6 engine that produces 340 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers allow the Macan to hit 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds to go with a top speed of 156 mph.
Since making its debut, the Macan has proven to be a hot ticket for Porsche customers, even if the starting base price of $49,900 looks a little steep.