It sold 128,978 cars worldwide in the 11 months to November - already beating the 118,868 sports cars sold in the whole of last year. 

 

Porsche marketing and sales chief Bernhard Maier said that last month alone was up 39% on November 2011.

 

Demand came from China and the US, where there was 70% more demand for Porsches last month than in 2011.

 

The demand from other countries has picked up for slack demand in recession-hit Europe. 

 

The result has been a 7.1% fall in car sales in Europe so far this year, with some southern European markets seeing sales slump by about a fifth.

 

 

Premium carmakers, such as Porsche and BMW, and budget manufacturers, such as Hyundai, are doing relatively well. But mid-market players - such as Ford and General Motors' Opel and Vauxhall units - are having a torrid（热情的） time, suffering falling sales, profits and market shares.

 

David Bailey, a professor of international business strategy and economics at Coventry University Business School, told the BBC that Porsche's success was driven by "huge growth in emerging markets".