By Gunnar Heinrich

I've written about it before and by Dr. Ferry's ghost I'll write about it again. I am amazed how the extension of the Porsche name to sport utility vehicles has reaped the German inventor's namesake company incredible sales dividends from what was a risky venture for the marque.

The Cayenne along with the signature, rear engined 911, are responsible for fueling major sales growth in the North American market. Porsche's P.R. department are busy doing the self patting.

"In a tough market environment, the manufacturer of sporty premium cars managed, with 2,801 deliveries to customers in September 2007, to surpass the previous year's 2,339 units by 20 percent on its most important sales market," the company reported in a press release.

Not all was perfectly peachy, however. Boxster sales slid back by seven percent to 712 units.

[Source: Porsche]