German premium auto maker Porsche has rolled out its 100,000th second generation Cayenne recently at its Leipzig plant marking the curtain riser for the 10th anniversary for the production plant.

“Ten years ago the success story of Porsche Leipzig started. What was a greenfield site, today ranks among the most modern car plants in the world,” said Wolfgang Leimgruber, member of the executive board of Production and Logistics of Porsche.

“In addition to the Cayenne, Leipzig is also where Porsche produces the very successful Panamera luxury saloon, approximately 70,000 units of which have now rolled off the production line. That is why more than 93,800 vehicles left the Porsche plant in Leipzig in 2011, more than in any year before."

The 100,000th Cayenne will be shipped to Brazil, where the SUV in “pure white” with a V8 engine will be handed over to its new owner.

The Cayenne is being sold in more than 124 markets in currently five model variants spanning a power range from 180 kW (245 hp) to 368 kW (500 hp) and an average fuel consumption ranging from 7.2 to 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres.

The second generation of the Cayenne has been produced in Leipzig since 2009 with the sports car manufacturer delivering over 360.00 units of the first generation to customers since 2002.

“Because of the consistently high demand for the Cayenne and Panamera we will be introducing a third production shift in Leipzig at the end of January. With the new production sequence, 500 vehicles on average will be produced each day,” Leimgruber added.

The introduction of a three shift operation is only one of many challenges in the near future. Building work for a major expansion of the plant is currently underway.

A paint shop and body assembly line for an entirely new model line that will start to come off the Leipzig production line from the end of 2013 onward are among the facilities being built on a 17 hectare site. Porsche is investing a total of 500 million euro ($661 million) in the production site in Saxony for assembly of the Cajun, creating more than 1,000 new jobs.

“2012 will therefore be an eventful and exciting year in many respects. We are welcoming many new employees, holding topping-out ceremonies on the new site, celebrating the 500,000th Porsche ‘Made in Leipzig’ and last but not least the tenth production anniversary,” said Siegfried Bülow, president and chief executive officer. – TradeArabia News Service