Porsche's Spicy Cayenne

Porsche now sells more Cayennes than the Boxster and 911 combined. With its speed and utility it's easy to see why

Porsche's Cayenne SUV has by all accounts been a success, but there are still those who grumble. Longtime Porschefiles saw it—and still do—as polluting the longtime sports car maker's purity of purpose. On this continent, Porsche now sells more Cayennes than its other two sports car lines (Boxster and 911) combined. Those sports car fans will have to admit, too, that it's helped save the company; Porsche has been doing so well financially that it's currently in the midst of upping its stake in Volkswagen, with which the automaker jointly developed the Cayenne.

Here in the U.S., the V-8 Cayenne was received well, helping to bring new customers to the brand and have more repeat buyers, but the value-leader Cayenne V-6 was seen as a weak link, a bit of a poseur; it was arguably a bit short on power for the nearly 5000-pound SUV—especially if your daily driving involved hilly terrain.

For 2008, each of the Cayenne models get substantial power boosts, thanks to the incorporation of direct injection across the line of engines, but it's in real-world driving with the V-6 that this difference is most dramatic. With a larger, 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 engine making 290 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, up 43 hp and 44 lb-ft from the 2006 model, the base Cayenne can reach 60 mph in 7.9 seconds with the automatic, more than a second shorter than before.

In case you're wondering, yes, this is basically same engine installed in the VW Passat—and the Touareg, with which the Cayenne shares its platform. But for those who drove the V-6 Cayenne before, realized it was too underpowered (or rather, underpowered for a Porsche), and then raised their eyebrows at the price of the V-8, you should seriously give the V-6 another try.

V-6 makes a performance leap

The V-6 isn't scorching off the line, but it can fairly be called quite sprightly rather than just adequate, with a much meatier, useful mid-range that cuts down on the need for downshifts and makes overall drivability much better.

What makes this package even more attractive is that the base V-6 is still quite affordably priced, starting at $43,400. That's $2200 less than the Boxster and competitive with the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML350, and Infiniti FX35, among others.

The V-6 model is still the only one available with either a six-speed manual transmission or Tiptronic automatic, while the V-8 and Turbo come only with the Tiptronic.

Both V-8 models see similar improvements in power, and adopt VarioCam Plus variable valve timing, which gives infinite variability to valve timing and lift on the intake side. They also get a new variable oil pump for the dry-sump lubrication system to help make sure there's a steady supply in high-g cornering. But since the V-8s were both already so quick, it's not as apparent of a real-world change as with the V-6.

The middle model—and the one that Porsche estimates will remain the most popular—is the Cayenne S, with its V-8 now up to 4.8 liters from 4.5. The new engine makes 385 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, up 45 hp and 59 lb-ft respectively, and can bring the Cayenneto 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 155 miles per hour. The S starts at $57,900—competing with the V-8 variants of the aforementioned FX, ML-Class, and X5—and Porsche ventures to say that it will remain the most popular Cayenne.

At the top is the powerful Cayenne Turbo, which brings a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V-8 that makes a whopping 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel it to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 171 mph. Starting at $93,700, it's in a much more exclusive, high-performance league, competing with the Mercedes ML63 AMG.

Acceleration with either of the V-8s is, as you might imagine, very rapid and satisfying for those who crave a little more power. The Cayenne S has more than enough oomph to easily charge to extra-legal speeds. It's still not like some of the larger-displacement American V-8s off the line, but through a wide range of revs the engine is torquey and responsive, with no need for downshifts.

Turbo model begs for the track

Step up to the Cayenne Turbo, and you'll truly need some track time to feel its capabilities without being thrown in the slammer. The engine is punchy from a standing start, and really hits its stride when the turbos spool up to their potential (there's a slight lag). If you've kept your foot mashed, your neck is still being pulled firmly back well into triple-digit speeds; the fun peaks at an official top speed of 171, if you're so lucky to be on a closed track or a very lonely road.

Overall, the Cayenne feels agile and frisky behind the wheel, and most of the time you won't realize that you're in such a tall, heavy vehicle. With more power than before, the V-6 is now much more satisfying to drive, and if you live in one of the flatter areas of the country, you'll probably get along just fine with it. Otherwise, the V-8 Cayenne S handles just as well and its torque seems especially well-matched for the 70- to 90-mph range, with rather effortless partial-throttle passes and especially relaxed cruising.

All three of the Cayenne models have a full-time all-wheel drive system that sends 62 percent of its power to the rear wheels in normal road driving but can when needed send 100 percent to either the front or the rear wheels.

There's also a low-range for off-road use; that might come as a surprise and not many will take the Cayenne away from pavement, but Porsche's logic is that just as it builds sports cars that excel on the racetrack, when it builds an SUV it will excel off-road. Approach and departure angles are competitive with some of the best SUVs with rugged reputations, and it can ford up to 19 inches of water.

The 2008 Cayenne doesn't look radically different; some might not even know the difference. Those more familiar will be able to spot the new front and rear-end styling, including a redesigned front air dam, widened bumpers, and a more 'swept back' headlight style in front, along with broader, more defined wheel arches, new mirrors, and an improved roof spoiler from the side, and wider-set, more sharply contoured taillamps that are illuminated with LEDs on the Turbo.

The result not only looks cleaner and more athletic; Porsche confirms it translates to significantly improved aerodynamics. The coefficient of drag is down to 0.35 across the line, unusually good for an SUV, from 0.38 or 0.39 for the previous models, which helps reduce wind noise and improve highway gas mileage. Thanks to that, and to the direct-injection technology, fuel economy rises slightly for the V-6 and brings a 15-percent real-world improvement for the V-8s, Porsche says.

Wheels seem to be especially important in bringing out the best in the Cayenne's proportions. Seventeen-inch wheels are standard on the V-6, but they don't do the whole package justice. The standard 18-inchers on the V-8s do it better, but the Cayenne's look is best accented with one of several optional wheel designs that range up to 21-inch.