| Engine | Power | Torque | 0-100kph | Top speed | Weight | Basic price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V8, twin-turbocharged, 4806cc | 550hp @ 6000rpm | 553lb ft @ 2550-4500rpm | 4.5 secs | 283kph | 2215kg | $171,950 |
Throughout the first few hours, I’d been looking at the Turbo S as an SUV with added grunt. Which it isn’t. Think about it. Under the bonnet there’s a big block that can outsprint a Bentley Continental V8 to 100kph, can let loose a roar of heart-stopping ferocity, and whose ideal terrain is bullet straight highways. Check the crankandpiston.com dictionary, and you’ll find that to be a word perfect definition of a muscle car.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S then is a muscle car. Scoff all you want, but it does make sense (though granted in the European sense of the term that we discussed a couple of weeks ago). And if Vanishing Point, Bullitt, Highwaymen and selected Fast and the Furious offerings have taught us anything, a muscle car’s turf is the outlands: a barren landscape with nothing but kilometres of bullet straight asphalt to contend with over hundreds of kilometres, the silence broken only by the tenor notes sounding from the V8.
So, let’s try sliding behind the wheel again, this time amidst the hot, rocky terrain in Hatta. And let’s not mess around: Sport mode is set, throttle mapping is reconfigured and gear ratios are shortened for sharper everything.
Select first through the eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, plant the loud pedal, feel the bonnet rise and listen to the rear wheels of this all-wheel drive monster try to spin up on the heated tarmac. The linear acceleration is rather surprising, since I’m expecting the turbochargers to kick me in the chin at mid range revs, and while the 2125kg kerb weight detracts me from using words like ‘raw’ or ‘brutal’, the pick-up certainly aggressive. Time your gear changes right through the (yes I’m mentioning them again) counter-intuitive gear change buttons on the steering wheel, and you’ll understand the kind of weapon you have underneath you. Forget the twisties and the switchbacks. To get the most out of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, hit the straights and nail the throttle. Like you would with any muscle car.
Just be on the lookout for rogue 1970 Dodge Challengers and drivers that look unnervingly like Barry Newman hurtling across the desert towards some stationary bulldozers.
Enjoy our Porsche Cayenne Turbo S test drive?
You can find more Porsche stories HERE, and more of our Car Reviews HERE
| Porsche | Cayenne Turbo S | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine: | V8 / twin-turbocharged / 4806cc | |
| Power: | 550hp @ 6000rpm | |
| Torque: | 553lb ft @ 2550-4500rpm | |
| Transmission: | Eight-speed Tiptronic S / active all-wheel drive / electronically controlled multi-plate clutch (PTM) | |
| Front suspension: | Aluminium double wishbone suspension / struts with air suspension and internal, hydraulic double-tube gas dampers / air suspension with levelling system and lift adjustment / continuous damper control with three maps (PASM) / active anti-roll system (PDCC) | |
| Rear suspension: | Multi-link suspension with lower transverse links / two individual upper links and tie rod / struts with air suspension and internal hydraulic double-tube gas dampers / air suspension with levelling system and lift adjustment / continuous damper control with three maps (PASM) / active anti-roll system (PDCC) | |
| Brakes: | Dual-circuit brake system with separate circuits for front and rear axles / Porsche Stability Management (PSM) / vacuum brake booster / brake assistant / electric duo-servo parking brake auto- hold function / internally ventilated brake discs / six-piston alum. monobloc brake callipers 390mm x 38mm (front) / four-piston alum. monobloc brake callipers 358mm x 28mm (rear) | |
| Wheels: | 10 J x 21 front and rear | |
| Tyres: | 295/35 R 21 front and rear | |
| Weight (kerb) | 2215kg | |
| 0-100kph: | 4.5sec | |
| Top speed: | 283kph | |
| Basic price: | $171,950 |
