From cayenne pepper to Peugeot protests or how Porsche model names appeared – in the world of cars – the car

“Carrera” in Spanish means “race” as well as “profession”, but it is most commonly used to describe some motor racing on closed tracks. The most impressive of these was the Carrera Panamericana, which ran for more than 3,200 kilometers through Mexican deserts, mountains and jungles.

The first such race took place in 1950, and by 1952, it had caught the attention of many of the world’s fastest car manufacturers, including Porsche.

When Porsche got into endurance racing, it took awards from 1952 to 1954, cementing its reputation as a reliable car company. Inspired by success, where the key to success was the 550 Spyder, about a year after the last race, Porsche released a model called the Carrera.

In 2014, the company expanded its range of SUV models by introducing the Macan.

The name of this group was chosen by the producer, inspired by the Javanese word “macan”, which refers to the rare and endangered Sumatran tiger. Macan developers said the model fuses the Tiger’s agility and performance behind the elegant exterior design.

Interestingly, McCann originally wanted it to be called Cajon, in honor of the South Louisiana Bay communities. However, later the manufacturer decided to give the off-road compact “Macan” the name.

Like the Carrera, the origin of the Panamera is linked to the legendary six-day Carrera Panamericana endurance race. In this race, on the road from the Mexican/US border to Guatemala, the track also drove along the Panamerica Highway.

Inspired by this resounding name, Porsche released a new model in 2010, the Panamera, which symbolizes speed, agility and endurance for long-distance travel.

With the growing demand for electric cars, Porsche presented the Mission E project to the world in 2015, and the first production car was introduced in 2019. It’s called the Taycan.

The company considered that the name should reflect the nature of the car and its most distinctive technical characteristics. However, it is not easy to describe a vehicle that did not yet have an ancestor.

After much research, Porsche has chosen to name its first electric car the Taycan. It is composed of two Turkic words – “tay” (a young, energetic horse) and “can” (spirit).

The Porsche logo also features a horse that echoes the name of the new model.

The 911 is probably one of the most popular names for Porsche models. However, this has nothing to do with the United States’ only 911 emergency number.

In 1931, when Porsche was not yet producing cars, the company began registering internal factory orders, assigning each a unique number – a code. When Porsche began producing cars in 1948, the first model was named the 356, according to a serial number. It was in high demand, forcing orders to grow.

By the early 1960s, Porsche design numbers exceeded 800. For example, the 1962 Formula 1 model was renamed the Porsche 804.

Then Porsche decided to change its naming system. The company wanted to work with Volkswagen, so it adapted to Wolfsburg. Because number codes beginning with “900” are available, Porsche has assigned them to its latest models.