2010 Porsche Cayenne
Yes, you can have it all

By Aaron Atwood

You’ve wanted a Porsche since you saw your first 911Turbo whiz past the school bus in fifth grade. Your wife says they’re impractical. She hasn’t seen the Cayenne.

This sports-car-turned-SUV stood Porsche purists on their heads when it climbed over convention in its 2003 launch. “How could such a large vehicle truly be considered sporty?” the purists asked. Then the masses started test-driving and skepticism was left at the starting line.

Today, the Cayenne is the best-selling car Porsche has ever delivered. Here’s why: Functionality. You aren’t going to drive your $80,000 Cayenne GTS off-roading through the Grand Canyon, but you do want something that will get you back from Tahoe when things get dicey. Until the Cayenne, Porsche had nothing for you.

The 2010 Cayenne GTS is powered by a 405-horsepower, 4.8 Liter V-8 engine. With a rear spoiler the car looks sporty and has the numbers to back it up. Porsche claims a 0 to 60 time in 6.1 seconds. The Triptronic transmission, Porsche’s manual-shift automatic, makes this writer think that something in the high fives is possible with a little practice. Take a seat in the Turbo S with 550 horsepower and it’s even faster.

Depending on the package, you could be ready to run with the Mustangs and Ferraris of your neighborhood.  The Cayenne Turbo S has a top speed of 174 mph and positively rockets from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. That performance makes the Cayenne, believe it not, the most powerful Porsche ever. Don’t tell your wife.

Power doesn’t push out practical however. The air suspension has as many options as there are driving styles. Sporty, off-road and combinations in between chisel the luxury out of all that muscle. A technology package inside gives drivers everything they’d expect in a luxury SUV. Interface with your iPod or mp3 player and navigate the roads through Porsche’s sophisticated, but easy to use controls.

Porsche has responded to early criticism of the bulky nature of the original design by trimming down the profile of the Cayenne. A redesign in 2011 is expected to emphasize sleekness. In fact, early photos showed such a lean design that writers first believed it to be an entirely new model.

“The sales speak for themselves,” says Mark Siffert, Internet Manager at Porsche North Scottsdale. “We sell more SUV’s than all the sports cars combined. The Cayenne is really helping Porsche put innovative new cars on the road. The Porsche Panamera, a new four-door model that’s just come out, was designed off the Cayenne profits.”

Porsche makes a mockery of “grocery getters” by putting four doors and room for a foursome in the Cayenne.

“Customers really like the fact that they have a sports car that has the capability of an SUV,” says Frank Ailmutt at Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas. “It’s all-wheel drive and has impeccable safety features.”

Having a Porsche as your daily driver isn’t just practical, it’s a dream come true. Now, convincing your significant other of the need to get from home to the grocery store in less than a minute might be more trouble than it’s worth.  It’s best just to highlight what’s standard.
All-wheel drive and Porsche Traction Management make handling whatever Mother Nature throws at you more fun than fret. The onboard computer transfers power and torque to the wheels that are gripping to keep you holding tight to pavement.

“There’s a lot of space,” notes Siffert. “More than 62 cubic feet of cargo room with the seats down. You easily hold a family of five and have all the power of a Boxter (more power in fact).”

Porsche management knew what it was doing when it set out to create a car for everyone—well, everyone who can afford an $80,000 luxury vehicle that is. Surveys indicate that most Porsche owners already own an SUV that takes the bulk of the mileage while the sports car sits covered in the garage. Why not get the brand out on the road more often with something that’s just as sporty but has more options for families?

Early reports were that the car was ugly in comparison to its older brothers. But this is no Ugly Betty. The raised fenders and sloped front hood scream sporty. The interior is maximum comfort. Drivers sit low in the cabin and make use of one of the largest windshields on the market. Visually, drivers have few blind spots and all the feel of a mean street machine.

Someday, kids will fix posters of the Cayenne on their wall and dream of the day they can own one, too.

Aaron Atwood is a contributing writer to Desert Golf Magazine

SIDEBAR:
Test Drive Your Own Cayenne—seeing is believing
Desert European Motorcars Porsche
Deserteuropean.com
71-387 Hwy. 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
800.347.4709

Porsche North Scottsdale
Scottsdaleporschedealer.com
18000 N. Scottsdale Road
Phoenix, AZ 85054
800.559.8032

Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas
Jplv.net
7200 West Sahara Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89117
702.284.7000