Turbo S 4dr All-Wheel Drive
2010 Porsche Cayenne

2010 Cayenne Photos
Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid - Click above for high-res gallery While charging along at 85 mph with a particularly poker-faced Porsche engineer riding shotgun, traffic begins to cluster on the horizon. Not willing to risk our seven-figure prototype, I gently roll off the accelerator, at which point a funny thing happens: Without warning, the tachometer needle dies, unceremoniously plunging to zero RPM. The supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 ahead of us has gone stone dead, yet our Porsche Cayenne continues to waft along unruffled. We are coasting along on the Autobahn, with only a modest bit of wind noise and tire roar as our soundtrack. Just as quickly as it began to appear, Stuttgart's traffic thins, and after gliding along for perhaps 15 or 20 seconds -- losing remarkably little velocity -- I ease back onto the throttle, at which point the rev counter jumps back to life just as quickly as it had extinguished, and the Cayenne sashays back up to 95 mph before I slot in amongst slower traffic in the right lane. Beyond the tachometer's telltale drop and jump, there is exactly no indication that the engine momentarily packed it up just seconds before. My copilot, Dr. Michael Leiters, project manager for Porsche's Cayenne Hybrid, allows himself a brief smile. Far from indicating a mechanical defect, we've just witnessed what our Deutsche companion refers to as "segeln" -- sailing -- a fuel saving maneuver that Porsche says other automakers have written off as impossible at roadway speeds without jolting disruptions. Yet beyond the tach needle's machinations, there has been no drama whatsoever: no untoward thwack in the back, no expensive-sounding noises, no head toss, no coffee spilled, just seamlessly reintroduced acceleration. The gas pedal simply called upon the engine again and the electric motor restarted it in a flawless, 300-millisecond passing of the power baton. Remarkable stuff. Follow the jump for more. %Gallery-47235% Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer. Porsche Comes Through In The Clutch Unlike any other gas-electric system currently on the market, our Cayenne S Hybrid tester has an additional mechanical clutch that decouples the engine entirely, temporarily removing it from the driveline equation. Doing so means the V6 is not a source of parasitic drag, and the modestly-sized 52-hp electric motor can nudge the Cayenne gently along as it does its inertial thing unencumbered. What is "modestly-sized," exactly? Porsche says the complete hybrid module – including the electric motor and the additional clutch – is just 5.8-inches long. The German automaker figures this electronically-orchestrated party trick will save them a couple of percentage points when it comes to fuel consumption, but we reckon that the gains could be substantially greater under the right conditions – a drive route incorporating long downhill grades, say. If one lives in a mountainous area like Denver, Colorado, it's theoretically possible to start the Cayenne's ball rolling, and then coast all the way down to the base of a slope – a run …
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Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid - Click above for high-res gallery While charging along at 85 mph with a particularly poker-faced Porsche engineer riding shotgun, traffic begins to cluster on the horizon. Not willing to risk our seven-figure prototype, I gently roll off the accelerator, at which point a funny thing happens: Without warning, the tachometer needle dies, unceremoniously plunging to zero RPM. The supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 ahead of us has gone stone dead, yet our Porsche Cayenne continues to waft along unruffled. We are coasting along on the Autobahn, with only a modest bit of wind noise and tire roar as our soundtrack. Just as quickly as it began to appear, Stuttgart's traffic thins, and after gliding along for perhaps 15 or 20 seconds -- losing remarkably little velocity -- I ease back onto the throttle, at which point the rev counter jumps back to life just as quickly as it had extinguished, and the Cayenne sashays back up to 95 mph before I slot in amongst slower traffic in the right lane. Beyond the tachometer's telltale drop and jump, there is exactly no indication that the engine momentarily packed it up just seconds before. My copilot, Dr. Michael Leiters, project manager for Porsche's Cayenne Hybrid, allows himself a brief smile. Far from indicating a mechanical defect, we've just witnessed what our Deutsche companion refers to as "segeln" -- sailing -- a fuel saving maneuver that Porsche says other automakers have written off as impossible at roadway speeds without jolting disruptions. Yet beyond the tach needle's machinations, there has been no drama whatsoever: no untoward thwack in the back, no expensive-sounding noises, no head toss, no coffee spilled, just seamlessly reintroduced acceleration. The gas pedal simply called upon the engine again and the electric motor restarted it in a flawless, 300-millisecond passing of the power baton. Remarkable stuff. Follow the jump for more. %Gallery-47235% Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer. Porsche Comes Through In The Clutch Unlike any other gas-electric system currently on the market, our Cayenne S Hybrid tester has an additional mechanical clutch that decouples the engine entirely, temporarily removing it from the driveline equation. Doing so means the V6 is not a source of parasitic drag, and the modestly-sized 52-hp electric motor can nudge the Cayenne gently along as it does its inertial thing unencumbered. What is "modestly-sized," exactly? Porsche says the complete hybrid module – including the electric motor and the additional clutch – is just 5.8-inches long. The German automaker figures this electronically-orchestrated party trick will save them a couple of percentage points when it comes to fuel consumption, but we reckon that the gains could be substantially greater under the right conditions – a drive route incorporating long downhill grades, say. If one lives in a mountainous area like Denver, Colorado, it's theoretically possible to start the Cayenne's ball rolling, and then coast all the way down to the base of a slope – a run …
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Retail Price

$126,300 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 4.8L V-8
MPG 12 City / 19 Hwy
Seating 5 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd w/OD
Power 550 @ 6000 rpm
Drivetrain all wheel
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