To hardcore enthusiasts, the thought of Porsche building an SUV is blasphemy. The brand best known for the iconic 911, some would argue, should stick to building sports cars for drivers who can appreciate them, and leave the grocery-getter market to brands like Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac.
In an ideal world, Porsche would sell enough 911s, Boxsters and Caymans to make this approach profitable, but the truth is that Porsche’s best selling cars are the Cayenne SUV and the Panamera sedan. By expanding its product range into more practical vehicles, Porsche is able to capture the repeat buyer, something it could never achieve with a lineup limited to sports cars.
That’s not to say that SUV buyers have to sacrifice performance, though, and as evidence Porsche is serving up an all-new Cayenne Turbo S. Its forced-induction V-8 makes some 550 horsepower (50 more than the Cayenne Turbo) and 553 pound-feet of torque (37 more than the Turbo), which is enough to propel the Turbo S from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.5 seconds. Top speed is a truly impressive 175 miles per hour.
Features and amenities abound, including Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, a standard Sport Chrono Package and an available Bermeister audio system. To make the Turbo S stand out in a crowd, it gets blacked-out mirror bottoms, air inlet screens and headlight housings, and rides on 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels.
Pricing for U.S. customers has not yet been released, but in Germany the Cayenne Turbo S will start from 151,702 euros ($196,166), including VAT.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
