I spent last weekend in the all-new 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. I'd driven the car a few months earlier at Barber Motorsports Park during the Cayenne press intro, where I also experienced the Cayenne S and Hybrid models. The Hybrid model, not surprisingly, got the bulk of the attention from the press for its advanced green technology, even though every version of the Cayenne is completely redesigned for the 2011 model year.
During my trip I was told Porsche's test drivers could pull lap times in the Cayenne Turbo that were within a couple seconds of the 911 Turbo, despite the Cayenne weighing an additional 2,700-pounds and standing 15 inches taller. That same trip had me maneuvering a Cayenne up steep dirt mounds and slogging through deep Alabama mud bogs. As you can probably guess, it was hard to find something the car couldn't do, and do well.
I left the Porsche press trip knowing the Cayenne was an extremely capable performance machine. But it wasn't until last weekend, after shuttling my family over 100 miles (including picking up a large pumpkin for Halloween carving) that I realized how good it is at just being a family machine. Between the sumptuous, supportive seats, intuitive touchscreen interface, capable audio system and roomy interior/cargo space (60 cubic feet with second-row seats folded) there isn't a family-hauling chore the Cayenne Turbo can't do, and do well.
Part of that family drive had me on Mulholland, along the same stretch of road where I've driven everything from a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to a 911 Turbo and GT3 in the past six months. Like Porsche's test drivers, I found myself proceeding at about the same rate in all four cars, though this was the first time my family was along for the ride.
In fact, once you realize how capable both the drivetrain and brakes are on the Cayenne Turbo it is seriously difficult to keep the car at legal speeds. This is not just because the car's 500-horsepower, 4.8-liter V8 can hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, though that certainly adds to the challenge.
No, it's because the car is whisper quiet at those extra legal speeds, so between light throttle application and a total lack of wind/road/engine noise 90 mph really does feel like 50. Plus the advanced braking system makes it feel like you should somehow be exempt from such petty concerns as speed limits.
Honestly, the experience of transporting a family of four with such capability, over such a wide range of needs (performance, luxury, functionality, off-road, etc.) is downright surreal. Certainly there are faster sports/exotic cars, more luxurious premium sedans and more capable off-road/utility vehicles. But those examples are only slightly better than a Cayenne Turbo in their areas of specialty, and none of them can handle the other areas nearly as effectively.
If your definition of "best" is the highest degree of capability in the widest range of driving needs (and assuming six-figure price tags aren't an issue for you), then yes, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo is the "best" vehicle on the market.
By carguy622
on November 2, 2010
08:00 AM
Yeah, the price definitely puts this out of contention for me :P
By deagle13
on November 2, 2010
10:17 AM
It looks like the Cayenne Turbo has the interior space of a wagon with an extra half ton of weight and a higher center of gravity. I'd be willing to bet that the CTS-V Wagon, RS-6 Avant, M5 Touring, and E63 Wagon would all outperform the Cayenne Turbo in every category except for off-road capability (which is irrelevant for most Cayenne owners).
I wish my fellow Americans would get over their wagon stigma so that the manufacturers could make a business case for selling their hot wagons in the US. Kudos to GM for bringing out the CTS-V wagon but I fear that it will be short-lived like the (commendable) previous attempts of Mercedes and Audi.
By dscain
on November 2, 2010
10:27 AM
The big question, Karl - could this be a Ford GT replacement?
By editor_karl
on November 2, 2010
12:47 PM
Not a replacement, but it's at the top of my list as a supplement (except for that silly $104,000 starting price, which admittedly is slowing my purchase down a tad...).
It would be interesting to see this go up against the hot wagons out there. It's remarkably capable, despite its weight/center-of-gravity. I'm not convinced any of them would outperform it at a racetrack, but it sounds like a good comparison test idea...
By blackadder5639
on November 2, 2010
02:58 PM
Karl, how different (in terms of capability) is the Cayenne from its more affordable VW equivalent, the Touareg?
Is the Cayenne a glorified Touareg the same way the Lexus 570 is a glorified Land Cruiser? If so, that would mean the Cayenne is within the reach of a lot more people as a Touareg! :-)
By pushrod
on November 2, 2010
04:47 PM
blackadder5639 : From looking at the US VW site, there isn't a Touareg model available with the 4.8l turbo, so the Touareg would appear to be in the same league as the base Cayenne, at least power-wise (the Touareg is down about 20 hp on the base Cayenne). The starting price on the Touareg is about $7k less than the starting price on the base Cayenne. But if you are looking for something comparable to the Cayenne Turbo, VW doesn't offer anything.
By huyracing
on November 3, 2010
05:07 PM
so, here's what i see... you have a Ford GT, so why would you need this for the track? with all the weight, the tires and brakes wont last you very long... then karl jr and carla will have to be driven to school on bald tires and worn brakes.
what exactly is good about that?
By wrinklebump
on November 4, 2010
04:53 AM
uhh, if i'm blowing six large on driveway ornamentation, i'd prefer it look cooler than a deflated sperm whale corpse.
for that matter, spening six figures on anything thats not a beautiful sports car is pretty sinful.
By lillycar
on November 4, 2010
01:36 PM
Wow, great write up. I almost started drooling. :-)
By lmbvette
on November 9, 2010
01:46 PM
This article perfectly sums up how I feel everyday when I drive my CTS-V sedan* around town.
I can't believe how utterly capable this vehicle is and how downright practical it is.
*I would have bought the CTS-V wagon but it was not out a year ago when I purchased it.