The hideous Porsche Cayenne E1 convertible, you best hope Porsche doesn't make another one of these
Louis · Aug 8, 2022 10:03 AM
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The first-generation Porsche Cayenne (E1) was never good-looking to begin with but Porsche was about to make an uglier version of their first SUV, known as the Cayenne convertible.
Shortly after the launch of their first five-seater in 2002, Porsche considered three alternative body shapes to their SUV and one of them was a Cayenne-based convertible. It would seem like a far-fetched concept at the time but Porsche actually had it built. Who would have thought that the Cayenne could get uglier?
Fortunately, there is only one in the world, which is kept in the storage of the Porsche Museum.
What you're seeing here is a hideous looking Cayenne with first half of the body in front looking disproportionate to the second half of the body at the rear. It's as if someone tried to build a Volkswagen Beetle SUV.
Thankfully, the sole unit is not a production car nor is it a roadgoing prototype. Test drives were never planned because while the body-stiffening measures were carried out for the convertible, nevertheless, it was incapable of providing a safe and stable drive.
There were two different rear designs, both looks pretty awful
Although the soft-top mechanism is said to be similar to the current Porsche 911 Targa, it looks nothing like the Targa.
Porsche 911 Targa (991)
Here are more pictures so you can appreciate Porsche's efforts in not making this into a production car:
Porsche did not pursue the convertible SUV idea further because forecast shows that profitability were not particularly promising and doubts remained as to whether the car would look as appealing as a Porsche should. I say thank God for that!
Cayenne Coupe in Carrara white metallic
Thankfully, Porsche came to their senses and developed the coupe SUV concept in 2019 known as the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and it looks stunning.
Louis is an automotive writer whose background was in the legal industry. Jumping from law firms to car dealerships, he finally found a career he loves and will never have to work a day in his life. He enjoys detailing his car and going to the gym during his free time.
