Porsche is kicking off 2014 with one of the most exciting projects in its over 80-year history. The sports car manufacturer is launching the Macan, a completely new SUV model series, and it invested 500 million euros in its automobile plant, many aspects of which were reconceptualised. In Leipzig. Made in Germany. Porsche expanded its plant – one of the most advanced and sustainable in the world – for the Macan. This included a new body shop and paint shop. Also new in Leipzig are 1,500 additional employees.

Production area tripled in size, 17,000 metric tonnes of CO2 savings. For production of the Macan, Porsche accomplished a factory expansion – that is really equivalent to the building of a new plant – within an extremely narrow time window. The assembly factory was extended into a highly innovative fully capable factory with a new built-up area of 17 hectares – a land area equivalent to the area of 24 football fields. In the expansion, the site’s total production floor area increased from 76,000 to 259,000 square metres, more than tripling in size. In expanding the Leipzig plant, Porsche also created one of the world’s most eco-friendly automotive factories. Thanks to new and innovative technologies, Porsche is reducing its annual CO2 emissions by nearly 17,000 metric tonnes compared to conventional systems. In addition, 1,100 new trees were planted at the plant site.

Production curve of Macan is ramped up. Currently, Porsche is ramping up its production of the Macan according to schedule. Starting on 5 April, it will be sold at German Porsche centres with prices starting at € 57,930. Siegfried Bülow, Managing Director of Porsche Leipzig GmbH: “In October 2013, we were manufacturing five Macan cars per day in pilot production; by mid-2014 we will already be producing around 300 Macan cars daily. And indeed at a quality level that distinguishes every Porsche.” This ramp-up of the production curve is significant, not simply because production volumes have been historically lower at Porsche, rather it is important because a quality of customisation and precision in details is being accomplished that is more reminiscent of handcrafted manufacturing. Matthias Müller, Chairman of Porsche AG, had this to say: “In the Macan, we are implementing a very complex design. One example is the wrap-around aluminium bonnet, which is unique in the automotive world. No other carmaker has implemented a bonnet that is as complex as the bonnet our team is producing at our high-tech plant in Leipzig. That is a typical Porsche innovation.”

Customisation in handcrafted style. As noted, a characteristic aspect of the sports car manufacturer is that it offers Porsche drivers nearly limitless options for customising their cars. Dr. Oliver Blume, Member of the Executive Board Production and Logistics at Porsche AG: “The Porsche production system combines modern production methods with the traits of handcrafted carmaking. A high degree of customisation is an important criterion for our customers. For example, in Leipzig we are using the latest painting technology, but we can also offer any desired custom colours. At Porsche, customers never get an “off-the-shelf” car; they can even have a car painted in the same colour as their neck tie if they wish.” Just as at its main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, and at the Group plant in Osnabrück, in Leipzig Porsche benefits from the precision of highly advanced production methods while offering the exclusivity of handcrafting. Dr. Blume: “When we take a look at the redesigned assembly area at the Leipzig plant, for example, one key aspect is of course our innovative linkage of producing three very different models – the Macan, Cayenne and Panamera – on one line. And this indeed at an extremely high level of complexity while attaining an extremely high degree of customisation. The truly innovative aspect of the Porsche production system is precisely this perfect combination of high-volume production and the wide variety of optional features that is characteristic of handcrafting.”

Made in Germany. The Porsche plant in Leipzig, which was founded in 2002 and was significantly expanded for the Macan between 2011 and late 2013, is a typical example of the performance capabilities of German industry. It is the employees in particular who made it possible to implement a top level of production technology in Leipzig. Chairman of Porsche AG, Matthias Müller: “For us Made in Germany is an important quality characteristic. We get this primarily from the qualification of the people who work at our company. Here in Germany, our dual-track vocational training system gives employees a qualification level that is higher than in many other countries of the world. Aspects that are rightly associated with Germany include its typically high reliability, conformance to scheduling, well-structured work on the car, measurability, high analytical competence and sense of responsibility. Also important are its high level of technological understanding and the innovative drive to continually improve processes. Germany has a competitive lead here.”

Advantages of the Leipzig site. Dr. Oliver Blume, meanwhile, explains why the Leipzig plant was chosen to produce the Macan in Germany: “The team at Porsche Leipzig GmbH had already proven – in its production of the Cayenne and Panamera – that it could manufacture highly complex products with top Porsche quality. The Leipzig plant also has an ideal strategic location as a good economic hub with excellent transportation connections. In Leipzig, we also have a factory with ideal expansion capabilities, its own customer centre and – something that to the best of my knowledge is unique in the world – it has a race track and off-road course. Last but not least, Leipzig possesses the know-how for our front-mounted engine versions; while we produce rear and mid-engine sports cars in Zuffenhausen and Osnabrück, we produce the versions with front-mounted engines in Leipzig. This gives us a very good distribution within the Porsche production network.” The factory in Leipzig is the sports car manufacturer’s second dedicated production site along with its home plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

Up to 50,000 Macan cars annually. As noted, Porsche already produces the Cayenne and Panamera model series at the Leipzig plant (2013 Leipzig production: 107,000 vehicles). The launch of the Macan will now add significant production volume. After a successful ramp-up of the new SUV, approximately 50,000 Macan cars will be produced annually in Leipzig.