First Drive
2007 Porsche Cayenne
Nip and truck
*I screamed, yelled, kicked and otherwise threw a tantrum when Porsche announced it was going to build an SUV. The world didn't need another of 'those' cars, and the fact that Porsche was caving in to this mentality just threw gas on the fire. I was ready to hold my breath until this car went away-that'd show 'em.
Porsche's Cayenne has proven to be one of its most contentious yet successful models ever. From its inception more than five years ago, Porsche purists flagellated themselves at the idea of something other than the 911 hailing from Stuttgart. And yet, some 150,000 Cayennes have been sold, many to drivers who never owned a Porsche before. These are what car makers refer to as 'conquest buys' and they make top brass giddy as hell.
In an effort to get me breathing again, Porsche let us park a Cayenne in our garage for more than a year. I cast suspicious glances at it every chance I got. Then one day I drove it home. And actually liked it. It proved to be an especially capable car and not lacking in sporty appeal. Did it fool drivers into thinking it was a lifted 911? Sometimes, but many folks who drove the Cayenne didn't care about its pedigree. A good car is a good car-no matter who builds it. The Cayenne qualifies as such.
This year will see the three Cayenne models undergo moderate upgrades, making them more powerful, more agile and more comfortable. Porsche has begun using direct fuel injection (DFI) in all its Cayenne engines, which both improves performance and increases fuel efficiency. It makes for an especially big improvement on the standard 3.6-liter V6 unit (enlarged from 3.2), which now produces a respectable 290 bhp and 283 lb-ft of torque. Outfitted with a six-speed manual transmission (yes, you can spec one out with a manual tranny), the 'base' Cayenne proves to be a nice ride, one we flogged both on- and off-road. A clear stretch of pavement let us see speeds in excess of 140 mph, quite a feat considering the vehicle's size. Porsche has smoothed the Cayenne's edges to improve its profile and significantly reduced its drag coefficient to a smaller 0.35. Like its predecessor, the ride quality is exceptionally smooth and the car possesses a tank-like solidity. So it surprises more than a few people when this fairly stout piece of work behaves like a proper, albeit big, sports car.
We drove the Cayenne S next. Porsche has revamped its V8 with VarioCam Plus infinitely variable valve timing and DFI. This produces some 40 more horses, for a grand total of 385 bhp and 369 lb-ft. It is one of the sweeter-sounding V8s out there and I wouldn't mind hearing it completely unmuffled. Porsche claims the S will breach zero to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds and top out at 156 mph. Paradoxically, its behavior off road is remarkable. Dropped into low gear via Porsche Traction Management (PTM), the Cayenne S assumes a stump-pulling 2.7:1 drive ratio, good enough to climb formidable inclines. An electronically controlled multi-plate clutch can place up to 100 percent power to whichever set of wheels can best use it. Should the ground be exceedingly rough, with individual wheels lifting off the ground, PTM will switch to 100 percent lock-up. It's almost scary how well the Cayenne covers steep terrain, scary because you've got to descend what you've climbed (and getting down is the tough part of off-road excursions). As one of our off-road magazine editors said: "The Cayenne is a very capable off-roader. You wouldn't think so, but this thing can really climb."
Each transmission-manual or Tiptronic-has been assembled with gears cut from stronger material. Throw Porsche's air suspension with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) in the mix and you've got an incredibly capable vehicle. Fully lifted, the Cayenne's air suspension provides almost 11 inches of ground clearance. Not quite Rubicon material, but still mighty impressive nonetheless.