CAR
OF THE MONTH JULY
2007
Best-selling SUV
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2008 Porsche Cayenne S |
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In
short: A benchmark sporty
SUV. |
It’s
no secret that Porsche automobiles are just about the best
production sports cars on the road. They are universally
lauded for their handling, styling, prestige and resale value,
just to a name a few key attributes. Not wanting to miss
out on the huge popularity of SUVs, Stuttgart introduced
the Cayenne, and the distant cousin of the Volkswagen
Touareg has become the best-selling
product in Porsche’s
stable.
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This
new generation offers a mild makeover to produce yet a
better vehicle with more power and more efficiency thanks
to a new direct fuel-injection system. Exterior looks are
nearly identical to earlier models, but the trained eye
will notice finer headlights, a slightly re-styled front-end
and an overall intensified aerodynamic design. We
keep seeing them in cities like London, Manhattan, and
Beverly Hills, but the off-road capabilities of these tough
vehicles are exceptional. It’s
a shame that the vast majority of Cayennes never leave paved
streets, where they are flawless, giving each occupant a
high level of security.
With a curb weight approaching
5,000 pounds, you’ll never cease to be amazed by
it’s agility.
Add 1,000 pound of payload (fuel and four passengers) and
this charmer will display its heart of a racer. We took
it on the NASCAR oval
at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at up to 140 mph, and cruised
in style round and round sans decals and the intense heat
and roughness you’d get in Kurt Busch’s Dodge.
Thanks to the Porsche Traction Management system (PTM) coupled
with a new stability management (PSM), all four wheels receive
a balanced distribution of engine torque. Larger brakes
are now present to deal with this added power. On the auto
track, accelerations up to 80 mph in turns were controlled
by the electronics, only feeling minute slides for split
seconds while they kicked in. The experience was so amazing,
you have to drive it to believe it.
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The
interior cabin is spacious and adorned with quality material
that will last. You may board five passengers
on this ship and there still remains a good cargo area. Fold
the rear seats down and you have the nicest delivery vehicle
money can buy. Speaking of buying, a base Cayenne starts
around $43,000 while a fully loaded Turbo creeps up to over
$106,000. That’s a lot of hard earned cash, but you
will be safe and always arrive in style.

Read a review of the Porsche
Cayenne Turbo
Warranty/Service: Four-year/50,000 mile limited warranty,
10-year unlimited warranty against rust, four-year/50,000
mile roadside assistance.
QUICK
SHEET |
Base Price: $57,900 / As Tested: $66,330 |
Technical
Specifications |
Vehicle
type: all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door
SUV
Engine: 4.8 liter
Horsepower:385
Torque: 369 lb-ft
Transmission: 6-speed Tiptronic
Curb weight: 4,762 lbs
Wheelbase: 112.4 in
Length/Width/Height:
188.9/76/66.9 in
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Traction: traction control, vehicle stability control,
automatic brake differential
Safety: front air bags, side air bags, curtain
air bags, tire pressure and brake pad wear monitor
0-60
mph: 6.4 seconds
EPA City: 13 mpg
EPA Highway: 19 mpg
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Check
out other Porsche models
See
all of our Automobile Reviews
Visit
the Porsche website
Photographs
by AlphaMedia
P013007 |
(Updated:
07/31/08 HC) |
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