When the Porsche Cayenne was launched five years ago enthusiasts cried blasphemy. Porsche should not build sport-utilities, they said, Porsche should build sports cars. But buyers won the vote. Cayenne had what they needed in a five-passenger SUV: more cargo space than a sedan, off-highway capability, and impressive towing capacity. They found the Cayenne technologically advanced and remarkably fast, as Porsches are supposed to be. So, buyers wondered, why all the hand wringing?Cayenne's balance of style, performance, and sport-utility virtues were compelling, and it quickly became a success story for the small manufacturer of legendary sports cars. When Porsche launched Cayenne as a 2003 model, executives said they hoped to sell 20,000 of the SUVs a year. Clearly, these projections were conservative. In some years Porsche sold more than 50,000 Cayennes. More than 150,000 have been sold in the past four years. Following a redesign for 2008, sales have again increased, making the Cayenne a boon for Porsche's financial planning. Cayenne's ongoing success smoothes over wildly fluctuating sports car sales, which tend to follow the consumer confidence index. Cayenne's success is helping Porsche do what enthusiasts want: develop and build great sports cars and a new four-door sport sedan. Enough hand-wringing already.Click here to read more