I'm certainly not going to justify the Cayenne as being a purist's Porsche. Not at all - that's what 911s are for... Do I feel from an emotional standpoint that Porsche needs the Cayenne - probably not. But from a business point-of-view the Cayenne is a runaway success. It is ugly - especially in photographs but it does have immense road presence.

I'd hate for Ferrari to make a Ferrari SUV - this idea is completely at odds with the brand and, somehow, quite unlike how a Cayenne seems to fit conveniently into the Porsche line-up.

Anyhow, no matter how much we debate the virtues of the Cayenne from an enthusiast's perspective, there is no arguing that the Cayenne is master stroke in terms of product success. And who's to argue with that?