Filed under: LA Auto Show, SUVs
Porsche pumps Cayenne Turbo S up to 520 hp
UPDATED WITH OFFICIAL PICS AND PRESS RELEASE
Apparently wi-fi at the L.A. Convention Center is at more of a premium than gasoline these days, as we’re getting info out of L.A. in virtually every form imaginable. Stuart managed to let us know that Porsche unveiled a new Cayenne Turbo S sporting an updated 4.5L, twin-turbo V8 producing 520 hp. Only the Carrera supercar has (had) more power in Porsche’s lineup. 0-60 should go by in a 4.8 second blink en route to a 167 mph top speed. The brakes are larger 19-inch discs clamped by six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear, of course with ABS.
You don’t need to take my word for it, the new Cayenne Turbo S is already up on Porsche’s website. It starts at $111,600, which is a pretty steep premium for a ute that can barely outrun the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (0-60 listed as “Under 5 Seconds”), which starts at a paltry $39,995.
More pics and official press release after the jump...
Making its worldwide launch in Los Angeles is the 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, a new higher-performance version of Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo sport-utility vehicle. With a modified version of the Cayenne Turbo’s 4.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8, the new Cayenne Turbo S puts the emphasis squarely on “sport.” Combined with chassis dynamics tuned for enthusiasts, and sophisticated all-wheel-drive underpinnings, the Cayenne Turbo S sets the performance benchmark for SUV’s.
In addition to boosting power output, Porsche engineers also modified suspension components, revised software controls for the Porsche Active Suspension Management system and beefed up the braking hardware. An optional SportDesign exterior body kit, developed in conjunction with Porsche’s styling studio, is also available for the Cayenne Turbo S.
Changes to the powerplant in the Cayenne Turbo S include larger intercoolers, which allowed an increase in turbo boost pressure, raising engine output 16 percent over the 450-horsepower Cayenne Turbo. Peak power is now 520 horsepower at 5500 rpm. The torque generated by the twin-turbocharged, 4.5-liter V-8 engine swells to 530 lb-ft %u2015 a 15-percent increase over the 2006 Cayenne Turbo.
Flowing through intelligent all-wheel-drive and stability management systems, the additional power of the Cayenne Turbo S produces a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) time of just 4.8 seconds—a supercar that seats five.
The additional thrust is countered with even larger brakes, which feature six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers up front, and four-piston versions in the rear, framed by standard 20-inch Cayenne SportTechno wheels. Maintained is the 38-/62-percent front/rear torque split, which avoids the nose-heavy handling characteristics of most SUV’s, and imbues all Cayennes with handling dynamics more in line with Porsche’s rear-drive sports cars. These traits are so sought after by enthusiast drivers, that the Cayenne has become the best selling of all Porsche models.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
AutoFan 1:46AM (1/05/2006)
A faster Cayanne. That's cool. Now I'll have to spend even less time looking at it.
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David Y 2:58AM (1/05/2006)
0-60 in 4.8 eh?
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 just posted 0-60 in 4.8, and the quarter in 13.5 @ 101.6 in February's Motortrend. Porsche better be playing conservative with that 0-60 number unless they want to get embarassed by the SRT8 which costs less than half of the Cayenne Turbo S.
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Bryan 11:09AM (12/14/2007)
Apples to Oranges. The SRT IS fast, but as a package, it's not in the same league as the Porsche. Read the tests. Outside of high school drag racing, driving in real world conditions, the Porsche is infinately more refineded and capable. Not sure about you, but I usually encounter a turn or two when I drive and as the speed goes up, the Porsche still keeps it's cool.
Lamp- 5:43AM (1/05/2006)
Biggest fucking rolleyes at the SRT8 comment. Come on guys, you really think someone who can buy Cayenne Turbo S is even considering looking at the SRT8? It's not like a guy with 150k++ year salary guy is looking to race you on public roads. It's not like Ferrari, Lambo, Aston Martin etc. are posting losses because the Corvette matches/exceeds their performance. Even though it's 4-5-6 times cheaper than the cars mentioned before. These cars are made for different market segments.
On track (which has left AND right corners) though, Cayenne will probably beat the SRT8 quite easily, I'm quite sure of that.
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Car-la 6:53AM (1/05/2006)
On track, the Cayenne would surely be faster than an SRT8...but then, isn't "Cayenne" and "track" an oxymoron in itself?
I always wonder why people by a 520hp SUV that is so expensive no normal person would use it off-road. Wouldn't a BMW M5 Touring or AMG E55 fit the purpose of a fast family-car with storage-space a lot better?
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JZeke 9:44AM (1/05/2006)
This is one of those, "if you have to ask..." There is no practical reason to buy such a car, much like there is no practical reason to buy a Murcielago or Vanquish.
If anything, Im glad Porsche decided to up the hp on the Turbo version. Theres nothing wrong with the idea of a Supercar-SUV. Now if they could do something about the looks...
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Chizzle 11:10AM (1/05/2006)
#3, I think you're underestimating the $150k+ crowd. Not everyone making that kind of jack is limiting themselves to Ferrari's, Lambo's, and Porsche's. People do buy Corvette's over Ferrari's, and they will also buy the SRT8 over this Cayenne.
Though there are some, or even most, not everybody buys an expensive vehicle just because. Maybe, just maybe they buy a vehicle because they like it.
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Kevin Buchanan 1:18PM (1/05/2006)
The Cayenne's a great piece of engineering. The looks, though...ugh. As Jeremy Clarkson put it:
"I think they tried to make the front look like a 911...which it doesn't. And then from here back, it's like they haven't even bothered. Honestly, I have seen more attractive gangrenous wounds than this. It has the sex appeal of a camel with gingivitis, and I would rather walk back to the studio than drive another yard in it."
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David Y 2:28PM (1/05/2006)
"3. Biggest fucking rolleyes at the SRT8 comment. Come on guys, you really think someone who can buy Cayenne Turbo S is even considering looking at the SRT8? It's not like a guy with 150k++ year salary guy is looking to race you on public roads. It's not like Ferrari, Lambo, Aston Martin etc. are posting losses because the Corvette matches/exceeds their performance. Even though it's 4-5-6 times cheaper than the cars mentioned before. These cars are made for different market segments.
On track (which has left AND right corners) though, Cayenne will probably beat the SRT8 quite easily, I'm quite sure of that.
Posted at 5:43AM on Jan 5th 2006 by Lam"
Are you fucking kidding me? People who can afford X5s, Range Rovers, and Cayennes routinely buy the lower priced Grand Cherokee over its more expensive competition. Now that there is an SRT8 version out that is faster than the Cayenne Turbo and likely just as fast as the Turbo S, the same people looking at the Porsches will consider the Jeep (hmm same performance, half the price, why not?).
As per your grossly ignorant statement that the SRT8 will be beaten "quite easily" by the Cayenne in the corners, perhaps you should pick up a copy of February's Motortrend and do some research (a foreign concept to you, "I'm quite sure") before spouting off bullshit. Motortrend noted that the SRT8 went through the Slalomn faster and pulled more Gs on the skidpad than the Cayenne Turbo. They also said that the SRT8 was the "best handling SUV we've ever driven" with a wonderfully sorted chassis and "sports car like handling".
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2Suave 4:08AM (1/06/2006)
People with plenty of money should spend it as they wish, but this thing is just plain nuts, IMO.
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Kenni 2:01PM (2/10/2006)
Okay, this is getting rediculous. You guys are so biased towards the average consumer. When Porsche created this SUV, it's for those people who wouldn't want to be seen in anything but Porsches. Hell, I don't care how fast the SRT-8 goes, I'll take even a regular Cayenne S over any Jeep in the world. It might be different coming from Long Island, but pulling up to an intersection with an Mercedes S-class, a Bentley Continental GT and a BMW M3 on all sides, I'd rather be sitting in a Porsche than a Jeep. The crest on the hood makes all the difference. And with a $120,000 car, regardless of what it is, would I really care to race some punk in a Jeep? If I really wanted to race, I'd use the 530 lb-ft of torque to tow a Lotus Elise to the track.
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Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 10:19PM (2/14/2006)
Who else cant wait to see 12 second Grand Cherokee SRT8's on street tires?
http://www.cherokeesrt8.com
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Ted 2:00AM (5/26/2006)
I own a 2006 Porsche Cayanne Turbo. With the 500 hp factory upgrades. I do agree with some folks comments, sure ford may have a close equal for 0 to 60 times, at a much less price. But I would never purchase a ford, even though I could have bought 4 of the SRT8's for what I paid for my Cayanne. Ford has no class, Porsche does. Porsche sells to an entirely different market.Folks that don't blink at six digit stickers! Folks that have Ferraris, lambo's in their Garages, of which I also have too. If I buy American, it will be Harley Davidison's, of which I own a few too. I must say, it has been a blast kicking ass on most sports cars, in a SUV. I am now looking at spending more than the price of an SRT8, to pump my Cayanne to atleast 600 hp. I have to also say, it rode awesome on the track, and I even had an 911 Turbo and GT-2, that had to wave me by, as I passed them on the straights at speeds an SUV would have never been considered years back. Keep buying your fords, so we stay an exclusive bunch! I have asked that Porsche take that 605 hp 10 cylinder engine, thats in the GT and put a few into some Cayannes. I would love to have one with that F 14 flighter jet sound.
Take Care!
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Bryan 11:28AM (12/14/2007)
Ted, no offense, but it's Cayenne, not Cayanne. Also, the SRT is a Chrysler/Jeep designation, not a Ford.
Also, I spent time as a mortgage broker and I can assure you that many a Porsche owner didn't blink at the price and that's why I was refinancing their loan. They owed too much and had to find a way to make it all go. They might have made a lot of money, but they spent it to.
I also encounter Intenet Porn site owners that bought exotics and while the cars might have had class, it didn't do much in this department for their sleezy owners.
Don't get me wrong, I love Porsche products. And, the cost may make them exclusive, but the owner bloodline is hardly pure.
alex 11:05AM (7/24/2006)
I guess I don't fit into any target demographic. I have the money for car A, B, C, or even H, but always find myself coming back to A or B. For example, my garage consists of a C6 Z06, TrailBlazer SS (both very accessable by the American middle class), but also a RENNtech S65 AMG, F40, and a Cayenne Turbo by (hopefully) later this evening; I'm having some dealer options installed. My main reason for purchasing a Chevy is simple: I was raised on muscle cars, and it was always a Chevy in the garage. Apart from brand loyalty, there really is no practical or realistic reason why I would pick a Chevy over a Porsche or Ferrari, albeit with only $3k in mods to my Corvette, it easily outruns my much more expensive, much more exclusive and exotic F40.
As for the performance/price debacle with the Cayenne Turbo S, I really do not see anybody to cross-shop an SRT Cherokee if they're in the market for a Cayenne Turbo S. Dare I venture to say 90% of all Cayenne buyers are buying the car purely for the nameplate on the hood - and not the performance? If performance came before the name, everybody would be driving Corvettes and Vipers, not 911s, Murcielagos, and Ferrai 430s.
And for what it's worth, I'm having the dealer install 285/50 BFGoodrich All-Terrains on my Turbo S, because yes, it will be going off road. Very off road.
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J 11:09PM (8/19/2006)
I've driven the Turbo S and let me say... once you get past the turbo lag, it's awesome. Launch the thing and it just GOES. The only thing I like more than the speed are the incredible brakes. You have way more confidence in the braking power of the Cayenne than say, a Viper. I was surprised at how it handled, considering it's ~5,000lbs! That being said... yes, it's ugly. No, I haven't driven an SRT-8, but I am a Dodge person at heart and hell, if it can kicks the Porsche's ass at half the price, I'LL TAKE IT.
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