There it is: the new Porsche Cayenne will take some getting used to for loyal customers
Porsche SUV
When people think of Porsche, most still think of the iconic 911, but it was precisely the compact Boxster and especially the large Cayenne that pulled the brand out of financial hardship more than two decades ago. The Boxster is now a modest player in the lineup, while the Cayenne – along with its smaller brother, the Macan – is the brand’s sales engine. To put it bluntly, Porsche today is more of an SUV brand with sports cars than the other way around. Now the brand is going one step further and will soon introduce an all-electric Cayenne.
New Porsche Cayenne
Porsche has been in the testing phase of their second all-electric SUV for months. As part of that testing period – with a touch of marketing – a camouflaged prototype appeared at Shelsley Walsh: a winding hill climb of just under a mile, where hill climbs have been held since 1905.
Behind the wheel was development driver Gabriela Jílková, known from the Porsche Formula E team. On her first drive, she immediately set a sharp time and pulverized the existing SUV record by more than four seconds. No mean feat on a course that in some sections is only 3.5 meters wide and leaves hardly any room for corrections.
Porsche Active Ride
The secret behind that performance, according to the brand, lies in the suspension. The car uses the so-called Porsche Active Ride system, which keeps the body continuously balanced via air suspension. When accelerating, the rear end rises slightly, while under heavy braking the nose sags briefly. This keeps the car stable, along with the occupants. When cornering, the system also limits rolling movements. We know the same system from the Porsche Taycan and Audi RS e-tron GT.
Not just for sprints
In addition to its climbing performance, the Cayenne also showed its practical side. After the record attempt, the prototype was used as a tow vehicle. A classic vintage car – a Lagonda owned by none other than Richard Hammond – was hooked onto a trailer totaling about three tons behind the Porsche. Porsche is aiming for a very hefty towing weight of up to 3,500 pounds.
Not finished yet, but almost
Although the car is already at production level in some areas, there are still tweaks to be made. The timing is no coincidence: from July 10 to 13, this same prototype will appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. There the public will be able to see it in action for the first time – and hear it, as far as they can.
No goodbye to gasoline
For fans of the gasoline-powered Cayenne, there is good news: the all-electric Cayenne may be on its way, but that does not mean the combustion-engined version will disappear. Porsche emphasizes that the arrival of the electric version does not mean goodbye to petrol. However, the brand does say that the impressive performance of this test car is only possible thanks to electrification. In short: the most powerful Cayenne will be electric.
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