21 Feb 06
Not really. It may be more powerful than a Ferrari F430 but with all that weight to carry, and an unavoidably high centre of gravity, its dynamic performance can only be seen as fantastic relative to other SUVs. A BMW M3 costs less than half this money yet would streak away from the Cayenne Turbo S in a straight line, destroy it in the corners and provide its driver with a level of response and feedback that the Cayenne pilot simply would not recognise.
However, I did manage to find the Cayenne's natural home, but only because Porsche was good enough to fly me there to try the car. Owners not living near a desert are unlikely to be so lucky.
But before things get too sandy, let's have a swift look at the fastest, most powerful SUV in history.
Not pretty, is it? But you knew that four years ago when you first saw its picture and wondered what the hell a manufacturer that had built one of the most envied reputations in the world by building small, low and light sports cars was doing building a huge, high and heavy SUV. The Turbo S looks no different, unless you spot its badge, unique wheels or four round exhausts - and it costs £10,695 more than the standard Turbo.
That buys you an extra 71bhp - courtesy of more turbo boost pressure, redesigned intercoolers and reprogrammed management - plus mildly modified suspension and, sensibly, even bigger brakes. It cuts the standard Cayenne Turbo's 0-60mph time from an impressive 5.6sec to 5.2sec, which is borderline surreal for an SUV and makes it so much quicker than anything that might describe itself as a rival as to make further comparison meaningless. A Range Rover Sport is not only well over 100bhp less powerful, it's heavier still.
So this new Cayenne is at its best in the sandiest desert you can find.
