I believe the Cayenne helped, but I believe It was ex-toyota employees that taught Porsche JIT inventory followed up by the release of the 986, as R&T describes below, was the first answer.
"While the management team at Porsche agreed that a relatively inexpensive roadster was what the company needed, it knew it had to find a more efficient way to build the car. In 1992, Porsche turned to former Toyota engineers to help implement the Japanese company's "just-in-time" production method. ... the Boxster was a runaway success"
Sure its true the air-cooled crowed hated the Cayenne and certainly the Cayenne improved the bottom line
Between 1996 and 2003, the Boxster was Porsche's best-selling model until the Cayenne came along. And by 2007, buoyed by a growing lineup, Porsche had become the most profitable automobile manufacturer in the industry on a per-unit basis.
By the late 90s, SUVs in America were taking over from MiniVans. They started small and grew into monsters, like the Escalade and H1 Hummer. America loves everything
BIG. From Porsche, they realized sports cars alone wouldn't cut it.
In the mid-1990s, Porsche had to make a far-reaching decision in order to ensure its long-term economic success.
newsroom.porsche.com
Interestingly enough, they really didn't understand what America wanted despite the Minivans. From a Reddit AMA from a Porsche Employee
If you look through it, they didn't understand Americans needed cupholders 😂 and BIG ONEs
There is a HUGE difference, a MASSIVE Difference. In the early 90s they were dying because they didn't understand the marketplace and modern manufacturing techniques. They had to have the Japanese teach them. They had to replace the 924/944 ... line with something similar to the Miata or MR2. They could not exist by the 911 along.
These are MARKET forces, FREE ENTERPRISE. People had choices.
Today its NOT MARKET FORCES. Its FORCED on Europe by their laws, for whatever reasons they chose, they do so by legislation. Porsche HAVE NO WILLING CHOICE. Thats vastly different than changing things because the market would not buy their cars anymore.
CHOICE IS GOOD. Mandates BAD 🚫
I see Zero mandates in the US despite all the hype. Goals, yes, forced legislation? No. Its totally unlike Europe. Without electrifying, Porsche would be forced out of business by European politicians, not by the free market. This is COMPLETELY different than PAG in the 1990s/early 2000s
Sorry, I have to disagree with your premise.
