- A custom Porsche Cayenne convertible just sold for barely over $11,000.
- SUV was chopped by Newport Convertible Engineering and given fake wood paneling.
- Despite V8 power and California history, the build comes with plenty of flaws.
There are questionable automotive decisions, and then there’s this. Somewhere in California, someone looked at a first-generation Porsche Cayenne and thought: “You know what this needs? To become a convertible station wagon with fake wood paneling.” Shockingly, they actually followed through.
The result is this 2005 Porsche Cayenne S Convertible conversion, which just sold at auction for a mere $11,315. In today’s used-car market, that barely buys a clapped-out side-by-side, yet somehow it was enough to snag one of the strangest Porsche creations we’ve seen in years. Of course, once you look closely at it, the price starts to make more sense.
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Built by Newport Convertible Engineering, the California outfit known for its drop-top builds, this SUV started life as a relatively normal Cayenne S before losing most of its roof. The conversion added a folding soft top and left behind a silhouette that looks like a Chrysler PT Cruiser had a bizarre one-night stand with a Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Then things got weirder still, with faux wood graphics running down the sides and tailgate in full retro wagon fashion.
More: Porsche’s Secret Cayenne Convertible Prototype That Never Made It To Production
Underneath everything is still a genuine first-gen Porsche Cayenne S. That means a naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8 pumping out 340 hp (254 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque through a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive system. That’s a solid drivetrain, but let’s be real… this example isn’t exactly concours material.
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The listing noted tears in the soft top, worn upholstery, clearcoat failure on the door handles, corrosion underneath, and an illuminated airbag light. There’s also reportedly a lifter tick at idle, which is never the kind of soundtrack you want from a German V8 with 143,000 miles. Even if everything here was in tip top shape, it’s not exactly pretty or more practical in any way than it was when new. That C-pillar is especially atrocious.
That said, as ridiculous as this looks, it was a big win for the seller. According to one member on Cars&Bids, it was available for sale last month for just $4,800. At over double that, this auction raked in serious profits.
