Can you guess what’s more exciting than those wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men you see at car dealerships? Tigers! Trouble is, besides the chance they’ll maul the bejeebus out of some customers, there’s the even graver threat that an animal-rights organization will take umbrage with the enslavement of innocent tigers for commercial purposes. Which of course brings us to Porsche.
In its zeal to explain that the new-for-2015 Macan crossover’s name is not, in fact, a mashup of the words “mean” and “pecan,” Porsche played up the word’s Indonesian etymology: “tiger.” A few of Porsche’s dealers took this and ran with it, according to a report in Automotive News , and planned to use live tigers to shill the Macan.
In fact, one dealership actually used live tiger cubs in a promotion two weeks ago, which is what really set off PETA, as well as Big Cat Rescue. Unlike most times activists and corporations cross paths, the PETA and Big Cat Rescue folks and Porsche are on good terms following the tiger incident, mostly thanks to the German automaker’s swift condemnation of the practice. A Big Cat representative is even quoted by AN saying the organization “praised them and even encouraged [its supporters] to go buy a Porsche.”
- 2015 Porsche Macan S / Turbo Driven: A Phenom for Hard-Core SUV Haters
- 2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Tested: Quickest Way to Spend the Big Bucks
- Porsche Macan Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
What a result! Although, while we’re fairly certain no big cats are harmed in the making of any Porsche, we can’t say the same for cattle. PETA clearly hasn’t scanned a Porsche options sheet and discovered the available leather-wrapped A-, B-, and C-pillars, rearview mirrors, HVAC vent slats, and fuse-box covers, among many, many other hide-covered items. We bet Porsche could even make wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men out of leather—now there’s an idea!
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