THIS SUV CAN TOW AN ENTIRE CARMAKER

摘要

Porsche chief executive Wendelin Wiedeking took a risky bet in 1998 when he decided to steer the German sports-car icon into the market for big, bruising sport-utility vehicles. Porsche aficionados cringed. Even the Porsche family shareholders balked, fearing the company's sports-car tradition and exclusive brand name didn't befit bulky off-roaders. But a determined Wiedeking prevailed―and after one year on the market, the Cayenne SUV, which sells for $56,000 to $110,000, is powering record sales and profits at the Stuttgart auto maker. On Dec. 3, Porsche announced a 22% increase in net profit, to $684 million for the year ending July 31, a period during which the global auto industry retracted.