Driver's Notebook: Sport Über Vehicle
02/01/2008
Porsche purists have often treated the Cayenne as an illegitimate child, a 2.5-ton affront to the Stuttgart family name.Yet most car companies can no longer survive on purists alone. And there’s no denying that the Cayenne, which accounts for approximately one in three Porsche sales, has been warmly adopted by drivers well versed in Porsche character and performance—but want it in an all-wheel-drive SUV.
Porsche is pitching the 405-hp Cayenne GTS as its sportiest utility yet, dynamically superior to even the 500-hp Turbo. Both are part of a second-generation Cayenne lineup that includes a V-6 model and the Cayenne S, the latter powered by a 385-hp version of the GTS’ 4.8-liter V-8.
At the heart of those GTS claims is a stiffened chassis and unique suspension, along with a body that looks Turbo-esque with its flared wheel arches and chunky 21-inch wheels and tires. And in the spectacular, cliff-hung Algarve region of Portugal, the GTS did what the Cayenne has always done, only better: Speeding, stopping, and changing direction with more pure feel and confidence than any rival SUV.
On sale in February, starting at $69,300, the GTS will become the first luxury performance SUV in North America to offer a manual transmission. That news made headlines, but stop the presses: The 6-speed stick may cut the zero-to-60 mph dash to 5.7 seconds (versus 6.1 seconds for the 6-speed automatic) but it’s awkwardly matched to this roughly 5,000-pound beast, with long throws and a rubbery action. The Tiptronic S version, in smooth contrast, was able to run all day in automatic mode, or effect slick manual changes via steering-wheel buttons or the console lever.
A larger, freer-flowing air intake bumps the direct-injection V-8 to 405 hp and 369 ft lbs of torque. Top speed is 157 mph, and acceleration benefits from a reduced final-drive ratio of 4.1:1, versus 3.55:1 in the S model. Pressing the "Sport" button sharpens throttle response, reduces exhaust backpressure to play up the V-8 rumble, lowers ride height, and loosens the stability control’s electronic leash.
A GTS with a conventional steel-spring suspension has been nixed for the States. Instead, U.S. buyers will see a GTS with a standard air-suspension—featuring comfort, normal, and sport settings—paired with Porsche’s active stability management. An active anti-roll bar system with hydraulic motors, dubbed Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, is a must-have option: It braces the Cayenne in fast corners to keep its body uncannily flat.
The air-suspension GTS offers a standard 7.7 inches of ground clearance, riding 0.8 inches lower than a Cayenne S. It automatically hunkers down another .35 inches when it reaches 77 mph, and again by 0.2 inches at 130 mph. Drivers can manually select two off-road heights, including a boulder-worthy 9.9 inches, or drop to a limbo-low setting for stationary loading.
Inside, the seats, dashboard, and doors are smartly bound in leather, with a luxurious Alcantara headliner and inserts on seats, doors and center armrest. Front sport seats are more thickly bolstered. And the rear’s two distinct, deeply contoured chairs are hugely improved from the flat, slippery bench of the first-generation Cayenne.
Any SUV skeptic can tick off the Cayenne’s negatives: Less cargo space than a Honda CR-V, no more passenger room than a midsize sedan, crushing weight and a resulting fuel thirst in the teen-mpg range. But the U.S. is known for sport-ute enthusiasts, not skeptics. For those with the means to match the enthusiasm, the Cayenne remains the Porsche of SUVs.
Porsche, www.porsche.com/usa
Peak Performance
Taking a vacation does not have to mean getting
stuck driving a rental car. Over the years, Porsche has hosted travel driving
events at more than 50 destinations worldwide, including ongoing 911 weekends in
Germany’s Schwarzwald, or Black Forest; Cayenne S tours in the Andorran Pyrenees
and Dubai desert; and a camp for Cayman S fans in the Tyrolean Dolomites.
Unfortunately, locations in the U.S. were not part of their
offerings. In 2007, Porsche has rectified that with Camp4 Colorado, a series of
one- and five-day winter driving programs in Vail Valley, that take place
through February 12, 2008. Per person, the single-day class costs $1,800, while
the five-day, four-night program is $6,000, all-inclusive.
Consider Camp4 Colorado Porsche’s own Rocky Mountain High:
Participants manuever four-wheel-drive Carrera 4, Carerra 4S, and Cayenne models
on an icy, challenging track carved into a mountaintop golf course, while honing
their skills on the slippery stuff with professional instruction. "It’s like
what you used to do in K-Mart parking lots as a kid, only now you get to do it
in $100,000 sports cars," says Bill Buckley, Porsche driving programs manager.
Participants receive hands-on training from top instructors,
including several from Porsche Sport Driving School at Barber Motorsports Park
in Alabama—whose credentials include top series competition from Formula cars to
NASCAR. To maximize one-on-one instruction and seat time in the cars, each
session is limited to 16 participants.
While participants have a fun and memorable time on the track,
Buckley says the serious lessons in safety, car control, and situational
awareness dramatically improve their real-world driving and accident-avoidance
skills. "If you can control a car in a near-zero traction situation, you’ll be
that much better on dry roads in everyday conditions," he says.
Guests for the five-day, all-inclusive program stay at the
Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, a four-diamond resort in Vail Valley, 15 minutes
from Beaver Creek ski resort and 25 minutes from Vail Mountain. With its
recently expanded RockResorts Spa and intimate 56-room accommodations, the
chateau-style resort is regularly ranked among the nation’s top golf and ski
destinations.
Guests are chauffeured from nearby Vail/Eagle County Regional
Airport (EGE) and enjoy sleigh and Sno Cat rides through Vail Valley’s postcard
landscape.
Later this year, Porsche’s U.S. travel program will expand to
host several race-themed events in conjunction with this year’s American LeMans
Series, including a travel package to Florida’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
in March.
The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, 866.650.7625,
www.cordillera-vail.com
Porsche Travel Club, 888.204.7474, www.porschedriving.com