The upcoming Porsche Macan. Image: Porsche AG
The Porsche Cajun is dead; long live the Porsche Macan. Porsche has dropped the “Cajun” development name for its upcoming small SUV, instead adopting a derivative of the Indonesian word for “tiger.” Macan, Porsche believes, represents suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics.
We’re not sure about that, but we’re sure that the name fits in with Porsche’s other guidelines: any new vehicle moniker has has to sound good in many different languages, and evoke positive associations (or, at least, avoid negative ones). We’re pretty indifferent to the name, but much prefer “real” names to ones made up by the marketing department. Volkswagen’s Tiguan, for example, is derived from the words “tiger” and “iguana,” which makes us wonder exactly how much peyote the staff had to consume before that sounded like a good idea.
The Macan will be Porsche’s fifth model line, and if the Cayenne is any indication, will likely set sales records for the Stuttgart-based automaker. Porsche will build the Macan at its newly-expanded plant in Leipzig, Germany, with production scheduled to begin in 2013.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
