IL Track Tested: 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo

IF I could afford it, I would drive it......

IT DOES EVERYTHING!!!

wow! what could it do with some sticky summer tires?!

Hey look, another article that I almost missed because it was hidden by that stupid GM ad.

Has the world gone mad!!!!! What is the purpose of this thing, and, what dork would buy this monstrosity when you could buy a brand new 911 AND Suburban for almost the same price...both of which perform there intended functions better than this waste of sheetmetal. The 911 is a better sports car and carries more prestige than this thing, and the Suburban is better at hauling people and their stuff. And did I mention that you won't look like a dork in a 911 or Suburban?

I like it. If you're going to get one of these things, may as well get one.

just wait for the srt8 JGC, similar performace, half the price

"Has the world gone mad!!!!! What is the purpose of this thing, and, what dork would buy this monstrosity when you could buy a brand new 911 AND Suburban for almost the same price...both of which perform there intended functions better than this waste of sheetmetal. The 911 is a better sports car and carries more prestige than this thing, and the Suburban is better at hauling people and their stuff. And did I mention that you won't look like a dork in a 911 or Suburban?"

I'm not inclined to like SUVs but the point of this is clear. It has sports car (heck near super car) capabilities with all the size and utility some people like. I agree with the authors that this thing defies logic. It almost does not seem fair what this thing does (I mean all of us in lesser sports cars have made compromises for handling , speed , etc). Of course it's predictable given the rabbit they pulled out of their hat with the tank like Panamera (another car that defies logic with it's massive weight but good handling and acceleration). Sadly the lessen is pretty clear, if you have enough power and boost, big enough brakes, and massive grip weight is not as much of a penalty as most enthusiasts would have you believe (see CTS-V, Panamera, various AMG cars, and this for reference).

rarejd says:
09:27 PM, 11/23/10
IT DOES EVERYTHING!!!

EXCEPT CARRYING YOUR STUFF. It doesnt have a lot of cargo space.

how many slow, poor handling $121k SUVs exist? None. For this type of money it should be able to do all of those things. Its one of the most expensive crossovers ever made- if not the most expensive.

It's impressive that they made it lighter but the 0-60 is about the same as the previous GC SRT. I would wait for the new SRT8 Grand Cherokee, but I'm bias towards the Jeep :).

Jesus 1487,

This is quite possibly the most usable performance machine (or the most high-performance usable vehicle) that's ever existed. It defies logic and physics in so many ways, and you come on and talk about how it SHOULD do that for the price.

First of all, numbers aside, there's a luxury of refined performance to be had with most Porsches, and it always seem to defy their engine size & acceleration numbers, if not even their raw track numbers. They are sublime to drive and this is no different.

Beyond that, I've never seen someone have so much disdain for usual top-players continuing to succeed... if this were a 2011 Durango SRT-10 for the same price, you'd be having an absolute fit about how Dodge has completely proven everyone wrong (and to be honest, so would I) This vehicle is a a marvel of engineering, and all you have to contribute is a sarcastic comment about price. What kind of cars do you like... I mean what are a few you would take if you had 20/50/100k to spend on a car? I still can't tell, cuz you're usually defending the latest GM or Chrysler offering against an "overrated" foreign product... I can never tell if something actually excites you as a vehicle. It seems like a car us either an "underrated" piece of crap to mediocre vehichle, as opposed to an "overrated, overpriced" vehicle that ranges from pretty good (Odyssey) to absolutely phenominal (Cayenne).

I'm sure the '94 Durango you drive has a lot more bang-for-the-buck, though.

I still don't get it. I think it is stupid. Just as I think people who buy 150mph pickup trucks are stupid. To put it in perspective, if Chevrolet made the necessary compromises/modifications to a ZR1 to allow it to tow 8000lbs (and charged 190K for it) what would you call that? I know what I would call it...STUPID! Why not just buy a 911 Turbo AND an F-150 for the same price. Both of which would perform the functions they were designed for (towing and sports car performance) better than the compromised ZR1. Many of you might respond by saying, "I want to go 130mph while towing my boat" just as you say "I want to pull 1.01G in my SUV". I would respond by saying "gee wiz, why would you want to do that"?

How is it in a straight line? The old one was nervous as hell on the highway, I couldn't imagine it as a daily driver unless I lived on top of a mountain.

Who cares if it is STUPID!? It defies the laws of physics and spits at Sir Issac Newton in the process...I'd be interested in a real world test of the ride/handling compromise, however...

So basically:

Yes, it's a Porsche SUV... but it's still damn well a Porsche.

"Why not just buy a 911 Turbo AND an F-150 for the same price"

You obviously have not priced a 911 Turbo. I suppose you could get a low mileage 15 yr old 993 turbo and the truck for that price. Modern USED 911 Turbos routinely sell for nearly 100K.

I mean, how is this not staggering to anyone ? Based on stats it's faster in a straight line than an M3. It stops as well as a Suby brembo equipped STI (how is it even possible to stop sub 110 ft with that bulk). It has as much or more lateral grip than an EVO or GTR - in a 5000 lb tank!

Again, this is an astonishing and slightly depressing result at any price. A slap in the face of hard core enthusiasts who endure unpleasant road manners, stiff suspensions, and utility in the pursuit of auto superiority who believe you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Wow.......wow.

I thought I was looking at the track test of a 2011 5.0 with the brembo package.!!
Almost identical numbers!!!
Except this beast weighs more than 5000 lbs!

Still, not my cup of tea for that amount of money.

wow. I mean what else can you say?

also, made me think of this...

http://www.sixside.com/fast_good_cheap.asp

Sweet Ralph Furley on a stick that's an impressive vehicle.

When will you use 1g? Daily. When will you use that acceleration? Daily. When will you use the space - pretty infrequently. Towing? Never. I'd still want a basic 911 over this thing but if I had to tote around stuff all the time (beyond a kid), then I'd be stoked to have this over most other sedans, wagons and SUVs.

The performance #'s are similar to my '11 Mustang GT and not a good as my chipped STI. Basically, you could get this kind of performance much less expensively, but if you need that "high chair" seating in order to feel safe and secure, and have money to burn - this is your car.

Just don't rationalize that this is a dual pupose vehicle, cuz it ain't.

so, basically, it performs identically to the X5 M, only less practical and $40k more expensive. That's a lot of extra coin for a Porsche badge.

"and not a good as my chipped STI"

Which performance part. Braking is better, grip is better. Other than maybe an abusive clutch dump will get you to 60 faster in the STI but once this get moving but I dont think stage 1 STI's trap 109 regularly.

Competence.

Stage 2. 0-60 in 4.1 without an abusive clutch dump.

The Jeep srt8 is fast 0-60 but gets destroyed by its competitors afterwards

I scored a X5 4.6is press loaner when it was first introduced in 2001. Equipped with a V8 filched from the Alpina B10 it was the Uber-SUV of it's day. Before I drove it I thought that buying a used M3 and a used Xterra for similar money would be a better deal. After I drove it I wanted one. Bad. I can only imagine what the Cayenne Turbo must be like.

"The Jeep srt8 is fast 0-60 but gets destroyed by its competitors afterwards"

That's right, I think they trap around 102 or 103mph, tops. For reference, a 98 Camaro Z28 is going to a little better than that.

@NoSpinZone

there is no such thing as a '94 Durango, just an observation

"The old one was nervous as hell on the highway, I couldn't imagine it as a daily driver unless I lived on top of a mountain."

You must be referring to your Mothers Yugo, while traveling @ 130 mph (Cayenne S) on my last trip through Texas, I think I saw you for a split second ... just bought the new 2011 Cayenne Turbo, I don't think I'll be seeing you at all.

@5por1zr

Just make sure to call ahead to the local ER,
so they can give the trauma surgeon on call a heads-up...

Only in this forum would have have some idiot comparing a Cayenne to an STI, any porsche, including the Cayenne is Lightyears better, than an STI. What people don't get, (probably bc they have never driven a real car is). You can make a turd go fast w/ go fast bits, but its still a turd. Speaking from experience, the last fast STI they made was an 04, yeah the first year they brought them over. I would have a Cayenne any day of the week though, or a cayman S, or the 911 turbo. All different cars, but all distinctly porsche.

Porsche makes the Cayenne because people buy them. That's all there is to it.

The Cayenne performs amazingly for a 5k lb SUV, regardless of price. That 60-0 stopping time is jawdropping.

To a purest, a Porsche SUV doesn't make sense. To Porsche, which is a company that tries to make a profit, it makes a ton of sense. Rich people love to buy things. Why just drive another MB or BMW SUV when you can stand out. Cayennes are amazingly popular in the Northeast and Midwest because of the snow. Why not have a super car that you can drive year round? Makes sense to me. Would I buy one if I could?? No... But I'm not going to knock it.

Besides, an R8 has all wheel drive... Just throw some blizzaks on her... hahaha

I don't care what the 0-60 is. But 0.94G of grip and 67MPH slalom? That's pretty damn high for an SUV!!! That's Impressive handling. I can see why Motor Trend awarded this thing MT SUV of the Year.

Very impresssive. I hate it of course though. Not so much the vehicle itself, it is impressive, and I can understand that someone might want an SUV, and then want it it to be fast and handle like a sports car. Really it's the people who will buy and drive this thing that makes me hate it soo much. A 12 second 1/4 mile is retarded fast. The NHRA requires roll cages and helmets to go that fast. Almost 1g of cornering is absurd as well. I have a very distinct feeling that the people who buy this vehicle have no appreciation for what is going on. They just know that they can stand the gas and pass everybody, or dash across 5 lanes of traffic onto an off-ramp they almost missed because they were going 130. They don't comprehend the amount of energy Porsche has miraculously managed, and the amount of damage that can be done with all that energy. Plus for us mere mortals driving things like our Suby's, those are performance numbers we work hard to achieve, with driving skills, money (saved by eating ramen), and blood, sweat and tears.

The point is the innovation. In the same way F1 style paddle shifted gearboxes have trickled down to pedestrian offerings like the GTI, at once making them faster AND more efficient, these vehicles like the Cayenne Turbo are a hint of whats to come for all of us. Yes, it's stupid expensive, just like all of the vehicles who use technology straight from the racetrack(NSX for example). But look at the possibilities; "Defies logic." Soon, if they're smart, players like GM and Ford will reverse engineer this magic that makes a 5,000 lb vehicle perform like a 911 of a few years ago, and offer it in their Yukons and Excursions - affordable to many more. The test makes no mention of fuel economy, but Porsche is working hard on that too with the 918, which is another ungodly expensive laboratory on wheels. This test shows the control that is possible on this monster at speeds few would or should dare on a public road. If that wealthy soccer mom on her phone has a few more tenths to react to what she should have been paying attention to in the first place, is that a bad thing for the rest of us?

audis sport and no-spin zone totally got this right,...porsche makes these things 'cause people buy them!,...it's not rocket science here,...rich people like to look rich!,...and this suv simply is amazing for what it does,...i've been told that porsche is always extremelly conservative on their 0-60 times,...so this thing probably really does 0-60 in more like 4 secs. flat!...they post the worst times so you the buyer won't be dissapointed when you get signifigantly BETTER times!..this car has been, like the panamera, a profit gold mine for porsche, allowing them to make all those incredible 911 variations that we all love,...oh, right,...some of you hate the 911,..and love the nissan gtr,...that's okay by me,...however,...sadly to report to you that the wealthy buying public ISN'T buying your gtr at all,..46 sales last month, versus 500 for the 911,...so me thinks the rich folks who TRULY can buy any car they want,...ain't buying your gtr!,...they may be rich,...but they are not stupid,...they want prestige, motorsport heritage, and performance for their money,...all of which porsche has in spades,...sorry gtr,...1 out of3[performance] doesn't cut it with these folks,...not to mention the ridiculous "no test drive" policy on the gtr,...i've had quite a number of wealthy friends say they would NEVER buy a car of that cost,..[upwards of 90,000 dollars now] without a test drive,...ridiculous, hence the gtr's pathetic sales numbers now,...

Look, if you have the money for this thing it's not the only thing you have money for. You also buy a 911. And a Boxster S. It's a piece of your Porsche stable.

And if one is all you can afford you'd be (IMO) an idiot to buy THIS one.

But man oh man if I had my sports car and my GT and I had the money I'd buy this thing, too. For my latte trips to Starbucks, of course.

A hundred and twenty grand is a bit dear for a poseur toy like that. I guess it will do for the Starbucks runs.

First, you can't buy a new 911 TT and an F-150 for less b/c a decently loaded 911 TT costs a buck sixty by itself.

Second, the fact that some guys owning the 2011 CT are wankers doesn't mean that all owners are, nor does it mean that many owners don't respect and appreciate the engineering behind the label.

This SUV is exceptional. With PTV and PDCC the vehicle rides as well or better than some similarly priced high performance sedans. Which leads me to my third point; why the 2011 CT is a rational choice...

High performance sedans are notoriously bad performers in weather. take a MB CLS 63 or BMW M5 and throw in heavy rain or freezing conditions on the drive home and you have a white-nuckle experience... on a good day... Add some snow and now you're nearly dead in the water.

The CT does not handle as well as the MB AMG's nor the BMW M series (which are fun to drive but also very expensive fair weather rides). But in Sport mode it's damn close. AND it's still safe and stress free to drive in the rain. AND it's a beast in the snow. AND you can put your mother in law in the stowage area and not get arrested for locking her in the trunk.

If someone lives in a part of the world where it rains and snows, and wants a high performance year round vehicle, the porsche is a rock star.

This thing is incredible. To all the people whining about it, are you daft??

"This thing is so expensive...." It's a Porsche, yeah, they're not cheap.

"This thing is a posuermobile...." ...that allows Porsche to turn profit so they can continue to build badass 911's and supercars.

"A Grand Cherokee SRT8 is faster...." Not even close. This thing went 0-60 in 4.3 secs. That's hella fast. None of the SRT8 Mopars turn better than upper 4 sec 0-60 runs and low 13 sec 1/4's. And from a roll, aka real driving, this thing would eat an SRT8 alive.

"A Suburban is a better people carrier..." No sh!t. But how often do see a Suburban, Tahoe, Expedition, or any other SUV w/ more than a few people in it?? Yeah, that's what I thought.

In summary, here's the thing. The most logical way to judge a car is how well it does it's intended purpose. Looks are subjective. Personal preferences are biased. Expensiveness is all relative. What every car can be judged by though, is how well it performs it's intended purpose. And this thing nails it. It's completely practical and comfortable for a daily driver, does probably 90% of what any other 'normal' SUV can do, and it's blistering fast. Can anyone say that isn't what the vehicle was built for??? If so, you're being illogical.

Whether one likes it or not, that is a different matter altogether. Personally, yeah, of course I'd rather have a used 997 GT3 v1.0 and E55/63 AMG combo for the same price, but again, that's all hypothetical. This thing rocks.