Car Reviws |
| 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, an AW Drivers Log: Posted: 11 Feb 2011 08:28 AM PST     
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I'm not sure it's so easy to condemn this thing anymore. Porsche has made a ton of dough selling these cars, and you really shouldn't be able to go this fast in something this big. The execution here is exquisite. Yep, it is north of 100-large, and if you are in the market for an SUV and have the wallet, why wouldn't you drive something this good? MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Looking back, it's strange to realize that Porsche launched the Cayenne almost nine years ago. My, how time flies--and how it changes things. Seems like a different world now: Porsche? SUV? Remember the shrieks of horror and accusations of blasphemy that reverberated from every nook of Porschephile central? “Diluting the brand,” they cried. “Diluting?” others retorted. “No, destroying!” Funny to think now how I agreed with much of this--hell, it's almost comical to recall how so many of us agreed. Oh, I know there are those who stick to this pedantic Porsche elitism, who will never acknowledge anything less than a 911 and perhaps a Boxster or a Cayman as a “real” Porsche, and that's their prerogative. But it seems like a tragic waste of time, thought and energy to me. You can say that the marque has priced itself into the stratosphere of only the privileged and elite, but if the company's core lineup of sports cars has suffered somehow from the unwanted influence of its blasphemous SUV sibling, I've seen little evidence to support it. What does this have to do with anything in 2011? Well, it should allow you to embrace the Cayenne on its own, without feeling like you are betraying Ferdinand Porsche's spirit. You'll find it a difficult task to locate someone who drove the original Cayenne Turbo and did not walk away impressed by its abilities, and the new 2011 model takes everything up a level to keep the model perched atop the performance SUV peak. First, this version looks worlds better than its predecessors, and the new, Panamera-like interior is excellent in design, appearance and functionality. The exterior is more aggressive, more cohesive and yes, more Porsche. The lower hood and more steeply raked rear glass are welcome changes, as are the excellent and supportive sculpted sport seats. The Cayenne is also a bit larger, with wheelbase increased 1.5 inches, eliminating some of the claustrophobia passengers might have experienced in the original--especially when they discover the sliding rear seats improve legroom. The turbocharged V8 means the Cayenne remains stomach-twisting fast, and the chassis is well up to the task, something that always impressed us about this suburbia shredder since birth. It simply does things that seem to defy all laws of physics, making 4,700 pounds feel lighter and nimbler than it ever should. Astute observers will note, however, that the new version is about 400 pounds lighter than the first generation--another welcome improvement. With a quicker-shifting, eight-speed gearbox and shorter final drive, mileage improves while the 0-to-60-mph time drops from 5.1 seconds to 4.4 seconds, with top speed up 1 mph to 172 mph. The air suspension controls the chassis very well, and drivers should appreciate the new all-wheel-drive setup, which sends 100 percent of the power to the rear unless slippage causes a need to send some power to the front. That makes this an even more rewarding, fun experience than the old Cayenne, and it continues Porsche's never-failing ability to consistently improve its cars generation after generation. No, no one legitimately needs such an SUV, but then again, no one really needs, say, a 911 or a Ferrari, either. If such vehicles appeal to you, then this new Cayenne certainly should--especially once you drive it. After all, it's difficult to verbally bash it when you always have a smile plastered to your mug behind the wheel. ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: Mac makes a lot of excellent points above. And as Roger said, Porsche has made truckloads of money from this SUV, which is money that has allowed it to continue developing world-class sports cars. I, for one, don't see a problem with that. As long as Porsche continues to make 911s, Boxsters and Caymans, I couldn't care less if they build an SUV, sedan or whatever it has in the future plans. The Cayenne, along with most recently the Panamera, has made Porsche relevant to a much broader customer base. One that doesn't only make its purchase decisions on lap times and stopping distances alone, but the people who need to take kids to soccer practice or take a family on a road trip. I jumped out of this in a mall parking lot during the biggest snowstorm of the season (thus far) and had two older ladies take a break from clearing off their cars and come over and tell me how much they liked the Cayenne, and then they asked me if the back seat offered decent space for passengers and about the trunk area. The fact that you can do everyday chores and have perception-altering performance abilities in an SUV package continues to floor me. Yes, Porsche put this generation Cayenne on a diet and cut 400 pounds from its curb weight, but it's still a 4,800-pound vehicle. It sits up higher but can still be a totally thrilling partner to toss around when you feel like cutting loose a little. Unfortunately, my nights with this 500-hp sled were hampered with the snowstorm, which had me trudging through drifts and lots of ungroomed roadways. Luckily, our test car had Pirelli Scorpion winter tires wrapped on the 21-inch 911 Turbo-style wheels--which look awesome, for the record--but having such wide tires isn't ideal for cutting through the snow. On the few open and clear stretches I did find, the twin-turbocharged V8 with the car in sport mode effortlessly moved it forward, enabling it to see 60 mph from a standstill alarming quick. Left by itself in sport mode, the transmission holds onto gears late and locks out seventh- and eighth-gears with shifts that are swift and smooth. I ran around in manual mode for a bit using the steering-wheel shift blocks (which I hate), and response was disappointing. It's best to let the computer to do the work instead. There is a distinct difference in the suspension-damping modes, which is good. Comfort takes most of the edge off bumps and road craters you'll encounter, while sport will stiffen things right up and enable you to feel the full harshness of each of those road imperfections--it really was rather uncomfortable on our torn-up roads. The few corners I was able to take with any fervor gave me a taste of what the Cayenne is capable of. Steering is sports-car responsive, with good weight with very little body roll. Porsche's ability to keep all this weight so well-controlled is really something to behold. What other SUVs out there can match the Cayenne when it comes to thrilling on-road performance and style? A Land Rover Range Rover Sport? No, don't think so. I'm sure there will be at least a couple of people out there thinking about the old Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 with the honking Hemi V8 and stiff chassis setup for way less money, but no again. That car was just way too crude and rough around the edges. Maybe the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG or the BMW X5 M? Those two are probably the closest you're going to get to the Porsche, but the Cayenne still wins in my book. Now, we just need to get this thing back into the office when winter rolls on out of here. 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Base Price: $105,775 As-Tested Price: $117,610 Drivetrain: 4.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8; AWD, eight-speed automatic Output: 500 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 516 lb-ft @ 2,250-4,500 rpm Curb Weight: 4,784 lb Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 18/14.4 mpg Options: Burmester high-end surround-sound system including 16 individually activated speakers, 300-watt active subwoofer, 16-channel amplifier, 25-centimeter active subwoofer with class-D digital amplifier, Air-Motion-Transformer, microphone for ambient-noise compensation ($3,990); 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels with wheel-arch extensions ($3,965); Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock ($1,490); seat ventilation front ($800); trailer coupling with removable ball joint ($650); ski bag ($405); Porsche-crest front headrests ($285); light comfort package including dimmable LED-ambient lighting in door trim panel, overhead console and rear reading spots ($250) |
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