Porsche has named its upcoming off-roader the Cayenne. And no, it's not named after the capital of French Guiana.
As any good cook will tell you, cayenne pepper is a hot, red condiment made from the dried seeds and pods of capsicums. It's also called red pepper; the cayenne, not the car, that is.
Like virtually everything about its off-roader (pictured in a spy photo), Porsche has kept the name top secret ... until now.
Porsche's US and Canadian importers, Porsche Cars North America, are over the moon about the name, issuing a statement saying: "The name cayenne is understood worldwide as synonymous for spiciness, adventure and
joie de vivre".
Dr Wendelin Wiedeking, Chairman of the Board of Management for Porsche AG explained the choice of name by saying: "With Carrera, Turbo, Targa and Boxster, we have given our sports cars
names which are now not only associated inseparably with the Porsche brand name, but also make a decisive contribution to the strong image and success of these products.
"So the name of our new sport utility vehicle must be of substance and must reflect the Porsche product philosophy - in this case, not only on the road but also off-road. We are convinced that the
combination of Porsche and Cayenne as a model designation radiates true strength, dynamism, fascination and emotion and will continue the great tradition of legendary names."
The Porsche Cayenne will be built in a new factory in Leipzig, Germany and will be launched in 2002. Porsche predicts annual sales of more than 25,000 vehicles worldwide.
Porsche has named its upcoming off-roader the Cayenne. And no, it's not named after the capital of French Guiana.