Porsche CAYENNE TURBO
Has
Porsche Ventured Too Far From Its Sports Car Roots With The Cayenne Turbo? Andy Enright Reports
As any MBA student will tell you, corporate history is littered with sob stories regarding companies that got too ambitious and began dabbling in areas they really had no expertise in. Marconi couldnt cut it as a telecoms company and if Sir Clive had stuck to cheap computers rather than pouring his investment budget into the Sinclair C5, his legacy would probably have been more than an interesting footnote. Porsche have built a reputation as manufacturers of impeccably engineered sports cars but are now chancing their arm in the luxury 4x4 market. Will the £68,970 Cayenne Turbo be remembered as the car that revitalised Porsche or as a grotesque white elephant?
At the moment the jury is out. Porsche have done well in positioning the Cayenne Turbo as the quickest, best handling and most aggressive 4x4 around, recognising the fact that few owners will take their cars off-road, preferring instead the combination of high seating position, decent luggage capacity, inherent body strength and overwhelming presence. Back this up with the persuasive action of a 444bhp 4.5-litre V8 engine and the Cayenne Turbo would seem to have success sewn up, especially in the lucrative US market which means so much to the top brass at Weissach.
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This model, dubbed The Third Line by insiders at
Porsche, is critical to the companys revenue stream. In order to retain their independence, Porsche must have the clout to be able to compete with companies such as
Ferrari,
Jaguar,
Maserati and
Lamborghini all manufacturers who have accepted the coin of big parent companies. Porsche doesnt have that luxury and with the escalating cost of developing new cars, it needed a cash cow called the Cayenne. Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert is the man responsible for overseeing the Cayennes development.
As Porsches director of SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) Operations, Wolpert realised early on in the product planning cycle that the Cayenne had to deal a mortal blow not only to the ubiquitous
BMW X5 but also to more entrenched rivals like the Range
Rover. Despite sharing many parts with Volkswagens Touareg 4x4, Porsches focus on uncompromising engineering has seen the Cayenne Turbo open up a new front in the luxury 4x4 arena. Any car that weighs in at 2355kg but which can still hit 60mph in 5.4 seconds is probably either a
Bentley or a Cayenne Turbo.
It will run on to a top speed of 165mph, but generating big power and headline grabbing velocities is the easy part. The Cayenne Turbo also has to drive like a Porsche.
"Put your confidence in the Cayenne and youll discover it has a surprising degree of handling subtlety. That and some sledgehammer brakes"
Get in expecting it to replicate a 911 and youll come away disappointed. Theres a degree of roll when you enter a corner, Porsches talented chassis engineers having to contend with the laws of physics. Such a tall, heavy vehicle is never going to handle like a low-slung sports car but the Cayenne Turbo is nevertheless an impressive showing. You need to feel your way to its limits, overcoming every instinct that tells you to back off as you enter the corner, trusting the Cayennes chassis and gumball Pirelli P-Zero Rossa tyres to deliver you safely at the other end.
Failing that, the Turbo is fitted with Porsches PSM stability management. Put your confidence in the Cayenne and youll discover it has a surprising degree of handling subtlety. That and some sledgehammer brakes. If you are intent on getting to the ski slopes in time for the first chairlift on a powder day, the Cayenne Turbo would be your weapon of choice.
Drive is normally split between the front and rear wheels on a 38:62 ratio although Porsche Traction Management (PTM) has the capability to direct 100% of the drive to either the front or rear wheels when challenged. The air suspension system thats standard on the Turbo allows the car to be lowered at high speed, raised when venturing off road and also to maintain ride height irrespective of load. Six different preset ride heights can be selected with a range of over 5 inches and a maximum ground clearance of nearly 11 inches. Should you really want to put the Cayenne to the test, youll find axle articulation to match a Range Rover, although few will want to risk the cars 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels with quite such gung-ho manoeuvres.
Its fair to say the styling has received a mixed reaction. Manifestly a Porsche from the front, the glasshouse looks somewhat shopping hatch from the back whilst the bland rear is perhaps the Cayenne Turbos least flattering angle. The black strip that the lesser Cayenne S model opts for around the rear valance is an effective antidote to the Turbos saggy-bottomed look caused by the body-coloured rear apron. Porsche have thankfully resisted the temptation to attempt to cram seven seats into the Cayenne body and as a result the interior is pleasantly spacious with more luggage space than its direct rivals and plenty of leg and headroom for five passengers.
The quality of fit and finish is superior to anything Porsche has produced to date, with a beautifully designed, if surprisingly conservative, fascia. The Cayenne Turbo is a towering achievement, especially for a company new to the luxury 4x4 market. The styling divides opinion, but few can have any cause for complaint regarding the engineering, the performance and the handling capabilities of the turbocharged Cayenne. The sheer overtaking presence of this monster of a car and the shock value of accelerating at such an unlikely rate endow the Cayenne with huge giggle factor.
As a feel-good car, not a great deal can touch it. A Porsche yes, but a sports car, no. One suspects the company will be delighted with that outcome.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Porsche Cayenne Turbo
PRICES: £68,970 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 378g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.4s / Max Speed 165mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 12.9(urban) / 23.7(combined) /18mpg(combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, PSM
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4786/1928/1699mm
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