|
Not so quick says Porsche, who dispelled rumors that the company is turning to another Ford Motor Company. Porsche argues that the Cayenne is bound to become the yardstick against which all other SUVs will be measured on, whether it be in performance, styling or luxury. True enough; the Cayenne was developed for three years under different conditions from the deserts of the Sahara to the unforgiving fridgeness of the Artic. As a result, the Cayenne designers considered every variable in the design, wanting to produce an SUV that’s as sporty as a 911 and yet, as rugged and capable as the toughest Land Rover. In the end, they’ve produced a car that’s as tough as it is fast. To prove the Cayenne’s capabilities off-road, Porsche launched the Cayenne Crossing Initiative, a program not too different from our Ford Outfitters—where owners can mud-sling their Cayennes in historical trails accessible by SUVs. The highly capable chassis is equipped with permanent all-wheel drive, an inter-axle differential lock and additional low-range gears plus the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system. Wrapped in a shell that’s distinctly Porsche, the Cayenne features a low engine hood and strikingly styled headlamps that help identify its sports car origins. The Cayenne measures 4.8 m long by 1.9-m wide by 1.7 m tall, making it a close size rival of the BMW X5. The 2.9 m wheelbase shames the Mercedes-Benz M-class. The front bumper and belt line help identify it as a part of the Porsche family. At the side, the Cayenne is every bit as sporty and clean as its 911 brethren with the exception of the C-pillar windows which are clearly an SUV trademark. At the back, the Cayenne’s purity of design is echoed by the lack of tacky handles and creases. It is all about the smooth flowing lines that integrate the standard rear spoiler pretty well. The tail lamps may look more like an Audi than a Porsche; nonetheless it coherently blends into the overall look of the car. There are two variants of the Cayenne which are distinguishable in both looks and performance. The top-end Cayenne Turbo receives additional front air inlets ala 911 Turbo, power domes on the hood and four tip exhaust tailpipes. They both ride on 18-inch alloys with an option for both 19 and gigantic 20-inchers to enhance the sporty look. The base Cayenne S gets by with a normally aspirated 4.5-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 engine developing 340-bhp and 42.86 kg/m of torque that translates to an un-SUV 0-100 km/h time of 7.2 seconds, eclipsing the Audi TT 1.8 Turbo. The killer in the range is the Cayenne Turbo which receives a twin turbo-charged version of the same engine. It gains 110 more horses (450 bhp) and 20.32 kg/m more torque (63.18 kg/m). This translates to a Boxster S level 0-100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds! The Cayenne S is mated to a standard 6-speed manual gearbox, while the Cayenne Turbo receives a six-speed Tiptronic S gearbox as standard. |
|
||||||
