2006 Porsche Cayenne Review

Porsche Relcaims “Worlds Fastest SUV” Title with Cayenne Turbo S

Until recently, it was thought to be impossible for any automaker to surpass the twin-turbocharged 450 horsepower 4.5-liter V8-powered Cayenne Turbo for top-speed or acceleration, but every champion meets a worthy opponent to knock it off its podium, or in this case, two.

Eager to claim a piece of the high-performance SUV pie, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz have created two massively powerful super-SUVs, both of which topple the Porsche in 0-60 mph acceleration times. But fear not, for Porsche isnt resting on its laurels, particularly when its being out-gunned by a Mercedes-Benz ML63 and a pushrod-powered Grand Cherokee SRT8.

To raise the bar, the new Cayenne Turbo S ups the ante to 520 horsepower, making it the most powerful Porsche vehicle currently in production, at least now that the Carrera GT has been extinguished. More importantly, this figure is enough to distance it from its nearest competitor, the ML63 AMG by 17 horses. Torque is also up by some 15 percent from the standard Turbo, to a mountain-moving 530 lb-ft produced at just 2,015 rpm. This of course is fed through a six-speed automatic gearbox with steering-wheel mounted Tiptronic controls.

While it wouldnt exactly be truthful to call the standard Cayenne Turbos engine lazy, Porsche didnt extract its absolute potential from the start, as it has with some of its highest-performing 911s. Because of this, unearthing the hidden power and torque for a relaxed turbocharged engine is a simple ordeal for Porsches engineers. They merely revised the engine management program, cranked up the boost and fitted larger intercoolers. If youre a Porsche fan, this procedure is a familiarity, as its been executed on the 996-type 911 Turbo X50 package, and even on the Cayenne Turbo with the Tequipment package.

From the engine and through the gearbox, the motors hulking power and torque is distributed to the road through an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system. Sixty mph from standstill flashes by in 4.8 seconds, stealing the title back from DaimlerChrysler (well, only partially so being that Jeeps GC SRT8 is said to bypass the 60 mph mark in “under 5 seconds”, which may well result in 4.8 - look for a battle to ensue), while top speed is a drag-limited 168 mph.

Under normal driving conditions, the all-wheel drive system distributes torque 38/62 front to back, in order to reduce understeer, and that nose-heavy sensation that most large SUVs experience during hard cornering. The system will, however, re-distribute the power split as needed to maintain optimal grip under all driving conditions.

Along with the massaged engine, you get some reworked components to help cope with all of that power. There are bigger brakes - six-piston aluminum calipers up front, and four-piston calipers in back, while the standard air suspension has been fettled with a lower ride and slightly firmer initial settings. Aside from the monobloc 20-inch alloy wheels, there isnt much by the way of additional styling upgrades. A body-spoiler kit is optional, but without it the Cayenne Turbo S doesnt look very different than the Cayenne Turbo, which, aside from the gaping front grille doesnt look a whole lot different than the regular V8 and V6 Cayennes.

Because the Cayenne is a luxury vehicle, the interior has been treated differently from the sportsers. Thick carpets and wood trim have been copiously applied to the dashboard, steering wheel and shift knob, and whatever other surfaces arent wrapped in tanned cow hide are made of aluminum alloy. All the goodies you might normally want on a luxury SUV are also present, including an intelligent sat-nav, excellent stereo and a rearward camera and sonar parking sensors, the latter to ensure that you dont scrape the paint off your bumpers when squeezing into tight parking spots.

Noteworthy options include four-zone climate control and either a panoramic or regular moonroof.

The Cayenne Turbo S made its debut at the LA Motor Show only a few weeks back, but Porsche is acting very quickly to get it to market. Pricing, and Canadian pricing in particular, has been set, which means that its going to be in dealerships very soon, enabling it to successfully challenge the sprint times laid down by arch-rival super-SUVs from Benz and Jeep, giving Porsche back the spotlight it normally basks in.

Nevertheless, this particular breed of Cayenne will be a rarity, considering its price starts at $111,600, more than three times of what the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 costs at $39,995. Of course, for those who want to own the worlds quickest and fastest SUV, not to mention one of the most prestigious, the Turbo S is the only answer.