Porsche’s China-Only 10th Anniversary 911 Sells Out Before Official Debut

10 Special Edition Cars Priced At 3.48 Million Yuan (US$538,000)

Ghastly expensive car? Check. Great Wall vista? Check.

Ghastly expensive car? Check. Great Wall vista? Check.

In celebration of its tenth year in the mainland China market, recently Porsche announced it would release a limited edition China-only commemorative 911 this June. As more details have emerged about this special edition 911, the Chinese-language media reports this week that it’s pointless for China’s deep-pocketed car buyers to dial up their local Porsche dealership, as all ten of the limited-edition cars have already sold out. According to Zhejiang Online, the 10th anniversary 911 — priced at 3.48 million yuan (US$538,000) — was tailor-made for the Chinese market, with variations made on the standard 911 Turbo S chassis.

Although it’s an impressive car under the hood, most of the China-focused alterations are unsurprisingly cosmetic, following the trend set by Bentley, BMW, Lexus and other carmakers that have produced special China editions. Features include special AlcAntara sports seats, carbon fiber trim and a new Sports Design steering wheel, but other touches like unique commemorative floormats and “China Tenth Anniversary” insignias hit the right balance of localization and flash so popular among Chinese luxury car buyers.

It’s not surprising that Porsche is releasing this special edition for the China market — it’s been incredibly lucrative for the German automaker. In the last 10 years, mainland China has quickly become Porsche’s second-largest global market, with chief executive Helmut Broeker recently saying he expects China to become the company’s largest single market “within a few years.”

This isn’t a blindly optimistic view, as Porsche’s growth in China continues to boom. Having sold only 27 vehicles in China in 2002, Porsche saw that figure rise to nearly 14,000 last year, with China becoming the automaker’s #1 market for its Cayenne SUV. As Porsche’s dealership network spreads further through second- and third-tier Chinese cities, we can expect that figure to grow even further over the remainder of the year.

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

10th anniversary China Edition 911

Special carbon fiber nameplate

Special carbon fiber treadplate

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