Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne is an SUV automobile made by Porsche since 2002. It is the first V8-engined vehicle built by Porsche since 1995, when the Porsche 928 was discontinued. Sales of the Cayenne have been strong, with 100,000 sold as of June, 2005, becoming Porsche's bestselling vehicle in North America. 40% of Cayenne sales are in North America.

Design

The Cayenne was co-developed with Volkswagen, who was also looking to add an SUV to their lineup, as a cost-sharing initiative. Volkswagen shares this chassis to underpin their Touareg sports utility vehicle, and Audi uses an extended version for their Q7. There are numerous styling, equipment and technical differences between the three vehicles. The Cayenne shares only its base engine with the Touareg, and Porsche's version is substantially modified. There are currently 4 engines available in the Cayenne:

• 3.2L 250PS (247hp/184kW) VR6 from Volkswagen (Based on the unit offered in the VW but with modifications made to the intake, exhaust and timing systems and heads)
• 4.5L 340PS (335hp/250kW) V8
• 4.5L 450hp (340kW) 460ft·lbf (624N·m) twin-turbocharged V8
• 4.5L 500hp (370kW) 515ft·lbf (698N·m) Tequipment twin-turbocharged V8 (Turbo)
• 4.5L 520hp (389kW) 531ft·lbf (720N·m) twin-turbocharged V8 (Turbo S)

Performance

The turbocharged model has extremely high performance for an SUV. It is roughly as fast to 60 miles per hour as the company's Boxster S (about 5.2 seconds), and the new Tequipment special version will be faster still. Reviews indicate that the Cayenne handles remarkably well for a heavy SUV—far better than the BMW X5—whilst having a comfortable ride and, unlike compeition from BMW, Mercedes and Infiniti, retaining remarkable off-road ability.

The competence however comes at a cost, with the "S" V8 model being more expensive than a comparably-specified BMW X5 and the turbocharged model costing nearly $90,200 USD before adding options, about as much as a fully equipped, V8 powered Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The Cayenne's closest rivals in terms of cost and prestige are the Land Rover Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz M-Class. The success of the Cayenne has prompted Land Rover to develop the smaller, sportier, and less off-road capable Range Rover Sport as well as to offer a supercharged version of their top-range model.