when porsche decided to enter the SUV market with its luxury cayenne model,it surprised the auto industry by locating its new assembly plant in leipzing, germany. many observers believed porsche should locate the plant in either central or eastern europe where labor costs were very low,or even perhaps in the US (as had mercedes and BMW ) where it could be close to its major marker.the critical issue driving porsche's leipzing plant decision appeared to be the primacy of porsche's strategy of quality,craftsmanship,and engineering excellence. Ultimately,maintaining brand image ( while,paradoxically,simultaneously upestting that brand image)was much more important to porsche than saving on labor costs-especially when assembly costs comprise only a small portion of overall vehicle cost.in the end, porsche emphasized design,research and technology development,and marketing to maintain its reputation for a commitment to excellence.