"Simply put, the Cayenne hauls...
"Simply put, the Cayenne hauls ass like no other SUV or truck-like thing I've ever driven."
In the first written installment on our long-term Cayenne (ec 05/05), Editor Bidrawn referred to it as "a lifted 911, a sports car for dirt or street." I don't completely agree with this statement. In my eyes, the two are entirely different creatures. You won't really want to take the Cayenne full-tilt around the Nrburgring or drive it fast up a twisted mountain road, just as you wouldn't want to take a 911 over an unpaved, apocalyptic wasteland.
Still, Porsche's SUV has its merits. Two years ago I drove the Cayenne range (S, Turbo and V6) around Porsche's winter driving facility in northern Finland during late November, and found each one a strikingly capable performer in some pretty harsh off-road conditions. The driving wasn't just over snow and ice. Through the off-road portions of the course the Cayenne's suspension, with a lockable center diff and anti-roll bars that can disengage on demand, was capable of incredible articulation and traversed obstacles I might have believed impossible to navigate. In this respect, it truly is an amazing vehicle, because after you're finished boulder hopping and puddle jumping, you drop the suspension and hit the paved highways with a confidence you'll not get from any other SUV. Simply put, the Cayenne hauls ass like no other SUV or truck-like thing I've ever driven.
Incidentally, it hauls too, meaning if you've got a boat, toy-hauler or car trailer, rest assured the Cayenne S has plenty of torque on tap and a towing capacity of 7,716 pounds to get you and all your stuff where you need to go. Of course, the powerful V8 has its downsides. Actually, just one I can think of: fuel economy. Keep your foot in the throttle as we like to in Southern California and you'll be filling at least one $50 tank each week, possibly more.