Porsche Cayenne Turbo Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Prices: £74,650 - on the road
Insurance Group: 20
Emissions: 358g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 4.8s / Max Speed 171mph
Fuel Consumption: 19mpg (combined)
Safety: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, PSM
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4786/1928/1699mm

RED HOT SILLY PEPPER

Our Rating: 7.7 / 10

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 couldn’t 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 these days chancing their arm in the luxury 4x4 market. Will the £74,650 Cayenne Turbo be remembered as the car that revitalised Porsche or as a grotesque white elephant?

So far, the former is looking likely. Though the press was a little lukewarm about this car in its original form, buyers weren’t and sales were strong. These days, we have a heavily revised Range that’s tidier looking and a whole lot smarter to boot. Plus, in this Turbo version, an engine uprated from 4.5 to 4.8-litres, with power rising from 444 to a massive 500bhp.

Since its inception, the Cayenne has appealed to buyers looking for a sharper, more sporting drive from their 4x4. Despite this, it’s always been extremely good off road, as long as you don’t mind exposing those big alloy wheels to a bit of a pranging. The latest Cayenne aims to improve driveability significantly, thanks in no small part to Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDDC). This system stabilises roll during cornering and is offered as an option on all models. The result on the road is better handling and agility plus greater directional stability and ride comfort. When off-roading, owners will notice better axle articulation.

Perhaps Porsche tried a little too hard with the original Cayenne to ally it to the design ethos that had worked so successfully with the 911. As a ‘sports ute’ it looked rather odd, and became more ungainly the paler the colour it was specified in. The latest model makes amends, giving the Cayenne a front end look all of its own. Where the 997 series 911 has gone back to round headlamps, the Cayenne now gets more feline looking projector beam lights and a grille that’s less frog-like than before. This not only looks the part but also significantly improves cooling.

The wheel arches are more clearly defined than before and every Cayenne model is fitted with a rear diffuser and a roof-mounted spoiler. As before, there’s plenty of space inside, although if you really want a 4x4 capable of carrying a big family, you’d probably be better off looking at an Audi Q7. The build quality of much of the switchgear has been improved and Porsche has also revised the materials used for the seating.

Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert is the man responsible for overseeing the Cayenne’s development. As Porsche’s 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 Volkswagen’s Touareg 4x4, Porsche’s 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 4.8 seconds is probably either a Bentley or a Cayenne Turbo. It will run on to a top speed of 171mph, but generating big power and headline grabbing velocities is the easy part. The Cayenne Turbo also has to drive like a Porsche.

Get in expecting it to replicate a 911 and you’ll come away disappointed. There’s a degree of roll when you enter a corner, Porsche’s 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 Cayenne’s chassis and gumball Pirelli P-Zero Rossa tyres to deliver you safely at the other end. Failing that, the Turbo is fitted with Porsche’s PSM stability management.

Put your confidence in the Cayenne and you’ll discover it has a surprising degree of handling subtlety. Th