1:03 pm, October 9, 2026
Porsche has suffered another sharp fall in global sales as the troubled sports car maker battles collapsing demand in China and an expensive rethink of its electric vehicle strategy.
The Volkswagen Group-owned manufacturer delivered 178,532 cars worldwide in the first nine months of 2026, down 16% from 212,509 during the same period last year.
That represents a reduction of almost 34,000 vehicles, with the biggest problems coming in China, where deliveries plunged by a third.
However, the picture is brighter for UK Porsche dealers, who have bucked the global downturn.
According to the latest SMMT figures, Porsche registrations in Britain rose 4.4% in the first nine months of 2026, climbing from 13,635 to 14,238.
September was particularly encouraging, with registrations up 20.5% to 2,554 vehicles.
The contrasting fortunes come at a difficult time for Porsche, which is attempting to rebuild profitability after a series of setbacks linked to electric vehicles, weakening demand and fierce competition.
Earlier this week, the manufacturer unveiled a sweeping turnaround plan which includes cutting 9,000 jobs, reducing management positions by 40% and trimming the number of model variants by around 20%.
The restructuring follows a collapse in Porsche’s operating profit margin to just 1.1% in 2025, compared with 18% in 2023.
Bosses are now targeting a long-term return to 15%, with plans to make the company profitable at significantly lower sales volumes.
The problems have also hit parent company Volkswagen Group, which recently warned that around €10bn (£8.7bn) in exceptional costs would hit its operating profit in 2026, including restructuring expenses and a writedown of Porsche’s value.
VW subsequently slashed its forecast operating margin for the year to no more than 1%, down from a previous prediction of between 4% and 5.5%.
Against that backdrop, Porsche’s latest delivery figures make uncomfortable reading.
China remained its biggest headache, with sales dropping 33% to 21,493 vehicles, while North American deliveries declined 13% to 56,088.
Europe, excluding Germany, performed better, with deliveries falling 11% to 44,949, while the manufacturer’s German home market saw a 7% reduction.
The Cayenne remained Porsche’s most popular model worldwide, with 59,586 deliveries, down just 2%. The Macan followed on 51,025 (-21%), while the 911 was a rare bright spot, with sales climbing 12% to 42,217.
Elsewhere, Panamera deliveries dropped 35% to 13,714, while the all-electric Taycan fell 31% to 8,699.
The biggest decline came from the 718 Boxster and Cayman, with deliveries collapsing 79% to just 3,291 vehicles following the end of production last October.
Despite the falls, Porsche insists it is deliberately prioritising profitability and exclusivity over chasing sales volumes.
Matthias Becker, the manufacturer’s board member for sales and marketing, said: ‘Our customers are deliberately choosing the exclusive and most emotionally engaging versions of our sports cars.
‘This further strengthens our unique position, enabling us to serve both the sporty premium and sporty luxury segments.’
He added: ‘Porsche remains committed to its value-over-volume strategy. Our focus is on highly desirable sports cars, appealing derivatives and the continued expansion of our individualisation offering.’