German sports-car maker Porsche drew heavy criticism from purists last year when it introduced the brand's first-ever sport utility vehicle, a close cousin to the Volkswagen Touareg dubbed Cayenne. But the Cayenne has boosted the Stuttgart, Germany-based company's fortunes, especially in SUV-crazed North America, where the "off-road" Porsche competes with high-priced machinery such as the Mercedes-Benz G500 and the Range Rover. History
When Porsche announced that it was breaking out of the sports car market with a SUV, I reckoned it might be another cul de sac for one of the smallest but most successful car companies in the world. Yet after the first couple of fast corners in the Cayenne, I wondered why someone had not thought of the idea before. As I built up confidence in the big four-wheel-drive machine, I was reaching cornering speeds on tarmac that I achieved just over a decade ago in a standard 911. This, in a machine you have to step up to get into, is no mean achievement. Unlike some rivals, which have to have bits removed and special tyres bolted on for rough off-road conditions, the car I used was straight off the showroom floor and the tyres were the same as those rated for the vehicle's 150mph-plus top speed.
Both models use a 4.5-liter V-8 engine. The power plant teams with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission that has manual gear change provision. The V-8 in the Cayenne S develops 340 hp and 310 pounds-feet of torque. With its bi-turbo setup, the Cayenne Turbo escalates to 450 hp and 457 pounds-feet of torque. Porsche claims the Cayenne Turbo can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds. Permanent “intelligent” all-wheel drive is standard on both models. A rocker switch engages Low-range gearing. The Cayenne's towing capacity is 7,716 pounds.
Both Cayenne models are refined, civilized and muscular, but their performance personalities differ as much as their prices. Acceleration from a standstill is downright startling in the Cayenne Turbo. Passing and merging response is less consistent — sometimes ferociously fast, but occasionally hesitant at lower speeds. Tiptronic shifts are barely noticeable, especially in the upper gears. In Sport mode, you can feel a bit of motion transmitted from the road but never a hint of less-than-perfect control.