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By Scott BurgessDetroit Newspapers
March 21, 2007
The black dot was almost a mile away when we first saw it. You could tell it was making its way toward us. Its windshield sparkled in the Texas sun as its wide-mouthed front end snarled, coming closer. The distant crescendo was building with each ticking second. The 2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo ripped through the air as it topped 160 miles per hour, a high-pitched sing announced its coming. Then in a shock-and-awe moment, it flew past in an octave-dropping roar -- its engine so quiet that you could hear the tires slap over the dusty track. And in a flash, the Cayenne was once again a black dot. The redesigned Cayenne luxury SUV proved itself that day as truly deserving of the name Porsche. The once gangly SUV has answered the question of whether Porsche should commission an SUV. The company did that five years ago, and in its second rendition, the German automaker has transformed a luxurious SUV into a sports car. During a day-long demonstration of the Cayenne, Porsche allowed journalists to floor it on a drag strip, rip through wet and dry road courses, chew up rocks off-road, and weave through a slalom. And for the piece de resistance, a professional driver took the wheel and topped 160-mph on a three-mile oval track with three journalists riding as passengers. After a few hundred miles behind the wheel of the Cayenne, I easily forgot it was an SUV. So, you ask, whose really going to shell out more than $100,000 for a turbo-powered SUV (though most buy the entry level V-6 Cayenne starts at $43,000)? Apparently, more than even Porsche A.G. thought. Since introducing it in 2002, Porsche has sold more than 150,000 Cayennes worldwide, double what the Stuttgart-based company anticipated. Porsche officials insist the midsize luxury SUV has held its own against the likes of the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Acura MDX. In the U.S., Cayenne sales dropped 22 percent in 2006. But percentages with small volume vehicles can be deceiving. The carmaker sold 10,500 SUVs last year, nearly one-third of all its vehicle sales. Small changes, big difference Redesigning the second-generation SUV's exterior involved more refining than overhauling. The subtle changes create a more sophisticated look. On the Cayenne's face, the bumper has been widened. The turn signal indicators have been removed from the headlight assembly and lowered onto the grille. The headlights have been moved out slightly as well. Combined with the more flared fenders, the Porsche adopts a wider stance. The rear of the Cayenne also has undergone retouches. Designers added a piece of plastic below the bumper, encasing the dual chrome-tipped tailpipes, and added a new spoiler off the roof. The changes are hardly noticeable at first glance, but somehow they make the Cayenne look cleaner and smarter without sacrificing its strong Porsche lines -- even with the optional 21-inch wheels on it. After all, what's the point of spending so much if your friends and even strangers don't know it's a Porsche? And what's the point of a German engineer changing something if efficiency isn't improved? The new face and door mounted mirrors (as well as a few other adjustments) dropped the vehicles drag coefficient from .39 to .35. That's an impressive improvement, even if you don't know what it means. Lowering wind resistance is only the first of many performance changes for the new Cayenne. Stabilizers eliminate roll Engineers have upgraded the engines, providing direct fuel injection which boosts power and fuel efficiency. Also available is an optional stabilization package, known as Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, which prevents the 5,000-pound Cayenne from rolling during a sharp turn. The $3,500 system is amazing. Without getting too technical, it uses a series of sensors and two anti-rollbars with hydraulic swivel motors attached to the front and rear axles to adjust the body's height to maintain a level ride through turns. The body roll typically found in heavy, tall vehicles is gone. When I drove the Cayenne Turbo through the slalom course with the PDCC turned off, it felt like a truck with the expected body tilting away from the direction of each hard turn. Switch the PDCC on and the vehicle's body stayed level, only my body felt the force pulling me away from the turn. It was a strange sensation. The difference made weaving through the orange cones easier. This system combined with the Cayenne's rack-in-pinion steering with hydraulic variable power assist (gearhead jargon for the steering becomes tighter at high speeds and looser at low speeds) and a host of other driving systems means the Cayenne is more capable than most drivers. And it has more power than most need. The Cayenne comes with one of three engines, depending upon the model. All of the engines use a direct system that shoots fuel directly into the engine for better performance. All three also require premium fuel. The regular Cayenne uses a 3.6-liter 290-horsepower V-6 mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. This Cayenne can hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds starting from a stop. The Cayenne S uses Porsche's new 4.8-liter V-8. This engine, which produces 385-horsepower and 369-pound-feet of torque, is lighter than the previous generation's 4.5-liter V-8. The Cayenne Turbo uses the same 4.8-liter engine but with twin-turbos to boost power to 500-horsepower and torque to 516-pound-feet. This is laugh out loud kind of power. Drop back acceleration On the drag strip, I floored the Cayenne Turbo and less than 13 seconds later I hit 100 mph. Then I tested the vehicles heavy duty anti lock brakes, which work magnificently. According to Porsche, the Cayenne Turbo will go from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. That means if you hold down the accelerator completely down for seven seconds in the U.S., you're breaking the law. Even off road, the Cayenne performed well; though I have no idea who would ever punish such a vehicle like that. This SUV was made for the Autobahn not the back roads of Texas. Its stability control kicked in whenever I tried to swerve around gravel filled corners -- spitting out jagged little rocks as I tried to ram the vehicle through the mile-long course. It performed great. Ultimately, anyone willing to pay top dollar for a top-of-line vehicle will get his or her money's worth. Drivers will sit inside their Cayenne, encased in beautiful leather, listening to premium sound and confident that if they need to, they could hit 160 mph. And even at those speeds, the cabin is quiet enough to hear the gasps from the back seats. 2008 Porsche Cayenne Type: Five-door, drive luxury SUV Models: Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo Retail price: $43,400-$100,000+ Engines: 3.6-liter V-6, 290-hp, 273-lb-ft 4.8-liter V-8, 385-hp, 369-lb-ft 4.8-liter turbo V-8, 500-hp, 516-lb-ft All engines require premium fuel Transmission: Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic with clutch less shifting available. EPA mileage: 3.6-liter: 14 mph city / 20 mpg highway 4.8-liter : 13mpg / 19 mpg 4.8-liter turbo: 12 mpg / 19 mpg Estimated 12-month insurance costs, according to AAA Michigan: $967 Notes: An exceptional SUV with excellent performance but price rises sharply for fully loaded models. Report card Overall: *** 3/4 Exterior: Good. It keeps its Porsche lines and looks more muscular than previous generation. Interior: Excellent. Pure luxury with every amenity needed. Key on left side of steering column takes a little getting used to. Safety: Excellent. Anti-lock brakes, six standard air bags (including side curtain air bags), stability and rollover control. Performance: Excellent . Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control limits body roll. Powerful engine and sports tuned suspension make the Cayenne an exciting SUV to drive. Grading Scale Excellent: **** Good: *** Fair: ** Poor: *
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