A new Cayenne is due at Geneva 2010, with updated versions of the three gasoline engines used in the outgoing, 1^st-generation model: a 3.6-liter V6 producing 296 brake horsepower; a 4.8-liter V8 producing 395 brake horsepower, and a 4.8-liter V8 rated at 493 brake horsepower. There will also be a diesel model, using a lightly modified version of the existing model's Volkswagen-developed 3-liter V6, producing 237 brake horsepower; and a hybrid model will be added to the range for the first time.

Porsche has also managed to cut the weight of its SUV by up to 10%, with the midrange Cayenne S shedding 180 kilograms (down to 2,065 kg).

The Cayenne is particularly popular in Russia, where it outsells its sports car stablemates by a considerable margin.

Porsche purists in the West are less enthralled, however. As the 2008, facelifted model debuts at Detroit 2007, Porsche advertising agency Carmichael Lynch of Minneapolis attempts to connect the Cayenne to the first Porsche roadster, and to the legendary 911, much to the ire of enthusiasts who see the Cayenne as the anathema of Porsche's core brand values.

The (noisy) base Cayenne gets a 3.6-liter V6 which (still noisily) produces 40 more brake horsepower and 24% more torque than the old 3.2. The 4.8-liter V8 model (replacing the 4.5) musters 385 brake horsepower.

There are new lights front and rear, a redesigned grille, and the availability of 21-inch wheels. Each model gets direct fuel injection, and the Cayenne becomes the first Porsche to offer (optional) active anti-roll suspension.


2008+ Cayennes offer the option of active anti-roll bars (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, PDCC), which act independently on either wheel at each axle, limiting body roll. The car corners neutrally with zero lean until it develops 0.65g of lateral acceleration, at which point the engineers dialled some in to warn drivers of the approaching limit.

The anti-roll bars are effectively disengaged during off-roading, allowing greater wheel articulation.

Adding PDCC requires air suspension, optional on all but the Cayenne Turbo.


With a 520-horsepower, 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8, the Cayenne Turbo S produces the highest torque of any Porsche: 720 newton meters. It hits 60 mph from rest in 4.8 seconds, and boasts a 168 mph top speed.

There are 6 different air suspension settings to choose from. The body automatically lowers its ride height at 78 mph, and then again at 131 mph.


For 2008, Porsche launches the Cayenne GTS; filling a Range-Rover-Sport-sized niche between the Cayenne S and the Turbo. It gets an extra 20 brake horsepower form the 4.8-liter V8; a standard 6-speed gearbox with shorter ratios; a Turbo-look body kit, and 21-inch alloys. 0-62 mph? Between 6.1 and 6.5 seconds.


In a move sure to further annoy Porsche purists, the Cayenne is (in Europe) likely to get the Volkswagen Touareg's V6 diesel. The engine produces 240 horsepower and, in the Touareg, attains fuel economy of 9.6 liters/ 100 kilometers.


Diesel hybrids have proven elusive, due to their high cost, but Porsche may give it a go with a hybrid Cayenne due in 2010, in time for the redesigned 2^nd-generation model. Early reports suggest that Porsche will combine the diesel engine with lithium-ion batteries.


In day-to-day driving, the Cayenne's power is sent 38:62 front:rear.