Couple of Pepper Reviews...

[motordavid]

I was bored while theCEO was motoring us back to the Mtn from
NJ yesterday, so I devoured about 3 days of newspapers while
she boogied us down the Interstate...found these two "reviews"
of the Cayenne; neither are C&D or R&T verisons, and I am not
pumping Peppers. But, interesting to read, imo.

Curiously, in our week long travels, over 1800 miles, I saw lots of
E53 X5s, lots of Peppers in Joisey, ("Eh, Carmella!"), but not one
new E70. Hard to figure...
BR,mD

Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Cayenne Turbo Adds Heat
To the Horsepower Race


There's a senseless war going on right now and I'm not talking about events in the Middle East. I'm speaking of the horsepower battle that's being perpetrated by German luxury brands, one that's driving engine outputs to silly levels -- record-high gas prices and global warming be damned.

Look back a decade, and a 400-horsepower engine was an oddity, strictly the province of six-figure exotic sports cars that rarely saw the road. Today, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche sell all manner of sedans, station wagons and SUVs with this kind of power, mass-produced daily-drivers priced in the five figures. What's more, this mine-is-bigger-than-yours contest shows no sign of nearing its limit, as recent introductions of several 500- and even 600-horsepower models attest.

Among the newcomers stands a reworked-for-2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which hits that absurd 500 mark, thanks to a bigger 4.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 with direct fuel injection. Porsche claims its top-of-the-range sport-utility vehicle now has a top speed of 171 miles per hour and can accelerate from zero to 60 in 4.9 seconds, despite weighing nearly 5,200 pounds. The only possible justification for spending the $94,595 it costs to park one in your driveway is hubris.

Indeed, press the Cayenne Turbo's new "sport" button to punch up the throttle response and firm up the suspension, goose the throttle, and you're Dennis Tito. Behind the wheel of this truck it certainly feels like you can conquer space and time, thanks in large part to a new optional chassis-control system that uses hydraulic motors to twist the vehicle's antisway bars, countering body roll. Back-seat passengers may lose their lunch, but the new Cayenne Turbo corners even more like a true Porsche than its predecessor.

Acres of Leather
That one already was the new plus ultra of sporty SUVs. Cost considerations meant Porsche wasn't about to change it much beyond the engine and suspension upgrades. So the new model uses the same basic body structure, and it still looks like a bloated Porsche 911 coupe with an extra set of doors. Similarly, the interior continues on as a supersized version of the 911's. With acres of leather and suede covering nearly every interior surface, it's like driving around in a Western-wear shop. New headlights set into a new front-end design and some tweaks to the aerodynamic bits at the back are the other significant changes, helping the Cayenne Turbo cut a sleeker path through the air, thereby reducing its coefficient of drag from 0.39 to 0.35. Oh, and there's a new power liftgate -- don't all you Cayenne owners rush out to trade up at once.
1
The SUV is the first 2008 model-year vehicle I've tested. As such, the Cayenne Turbo's fuel economy -- now there's an oxymoron -- deserves special mention, since the EPA has revised its estimates to better reflect faster driving speeds and air-conditioner use, among other factors. This is going to reduce stated fuel economy across the board, even for 2008s that are mechanically identical to last year's models. (That's not the case here.) The new Cayenne Turbo's official EPA rating is 12 mpg in the city, 19 mpg on the highway and 14 mpg combined. By comparison, the 2006 Cayenne Turbo -- there was no 2007 model -- was rated at 13 city, 18 highway and 15 combined under the EPA's old system.

In the real world, I got 14.6 mpg over nearly 800 miles of driving, with the preponderance of that on the highway. A few acceleration runs and a day spent doing errands dragged that number down some, but it's unreasonable to expect to get 19 mpg out of a Cayenne Turbo, the new EPA highway estimate. Porsche insists the new model returns up to 11% better highway fuel economy than its predecessor, which may be true in a laboratory, but not with any normal person driving. Definitely not with the vehicle in "sport" mode, which fixes the electronic throttle control's sluggishness and the six-speed automatic transmission's refusal to use first gear. The thing is, the Cayenne Turbo's 516 lb.-ft. of torque is OxyContin-addictive, and once those turbos spool up, it burns gas like a refinery fire.

Socially Unacceptable?
Of course, conventional wisdom says that people with the means and inclination to buy 500-horsepower Cayenne Turbos don't care about fuel economy. To which I'd like to ask, why not? Or to really sharpen the point, when is it going to become socially unacceptable to drive vehicles that return 1970s-vintage fuel economy? Clearly not anytime soon, as these megahorsepower models are being snapped up with the same reckless abandon with which their owners drive them.

Not that Porsche is alone in bearing this criticism, as this whole realm of vehicles is out of place in a country so restricted by speed limits, choked with traffic congestion and increasingly concerned about where its fuel is going to come from, today, tomorrow and 50 years on. But the problem is not so much the Cayenne Turbo and its brethren. It's what's not happening on the other side of the equation: There is no meaningful fracas being fought over fuel economy today, surely not one contested with the intensity of this horsepower war.




Behind The Wheel | 2008 Porsche Cayenne
Still Extra Chunky, Now More Spicy


Porsche redesigned and upgraded its Cayennes for 2008. From left, the S, the Turbo and the 6-cylinder base model.

By JERRY GARRETT

Published: June 24, 2007


SOME Porsche purists are still horrified that the sports car company branched out into sport utility vehicles. But let’s get real: if a Porschephile’s transportation needs call for an S.U.V., why should she, or he, have to shop elsewhere?

The newly redesigned Porsche Cayenne, which first appeared as a 2003 model, remains a study in contrasts. It is, with apologies to 914 devotees, the ugliest Porsche ever. Yet, for an S.U.V., it is comparatively handsome. Maybe that is why it appeals to so many women.


Fully equipped, the 2008 Cayenne can price out as the most expensive S.U.V. this side of Baghdad. But ounce for ounce, a 5,191-pound Cayenne is the most Porsche that money can buy — especially the base model, which starts at a mere $44,295, including the $895 shipping charge. In fact, you can buy two base Cayennes for what a top-line Turbo model costs and have change left over.

But what exactly would a fully loaded Cayenne look like? I counted 107 possible options for the Cayenne (some, like multiple wheel choices, are duplications). There are also 10 paint colors, at least 4 leather combinations and 3 powertrain possibilities. So, considering all that, how high can the sticker price go?

“I don’t have such a figure,” Gary Fong of Porsche, who manages the company’s fleet of test cars, said by e-mail message. “But since the Cayenne Turbo has so many standard features that are optional on the other Cayenne models, there’s not a lot you can add. I’ve configured some loaded Cayenne Turbos over the years and never cracked $109K. Running the options through my head, and barring the custom tailoring offerings, I’d say the max would be between $110K and $115K.”

It is safe to assume that Porsche is making a fair profit on these things, even when they lack some options, although how much is not clear. Recent buyers of close-out 2006 models (there was no 2007 model year) have reported getting discounts of up to $30,000 off the sticker. So there would seem to be some wiggle room on price. I tested two versions of the redesigned vehicle. My Cayenne Turbo test vehicle, laden with a mere $13,000 in options, priced out at $106,595. That was without extravagances like the panoramic glass roof ($3,900), two-tone leather interior ($1,510), leather-trimmed air vents ($2,160) and matching leather keyfob holder ($95).

I also tested the bargain-basement model, which is simply called Cayenne. Potential shoppers should note that this version comes not with a V-8 engine like the S, or the twin-turbo V-8 of the Turbo, but a V-6 engine supplied by Volkswagen. While the 6-cylinder model might seem to be aimed at those conflicted people who are in the market for a slow Porsche, it is actually quite competent, if not overwhelming.

At least the V-6 has benefited from a significant upgrade for 2008. What had been an unworthy 3.2-liter power plant is now 3.6 liters and makes 290 horsepower — some 15 percent more than before. (This, by the way, is more than the advertised horsepower rating for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally rocket.)

Another redeeming feature: Cayennes with the V-6 are the only ones available with manual (six-speed) transmissions. The manual comes at no extra cost, but to get it, you have to check that box on the order form.

So it would seem that the six-speed Tiptronic S automatic, the only transmission offered on the S or the Turbo, would be standard equipment on the base model, but it is not. Porsche actually charges $3,000 extra for that transmission on the base model. Go figure.

My base-level test model also lacked Porsche Active Suspension Management, a set of suspension controls and commands including an electronic ride control system that continuously adjusts the traction and the damping at each wheel.

Along with the electronic stability control, it intervenes to override a driver’s worst excesses, for better or worse. In fact, a lot of enthusiasts think the system is too intrusive.

In my test-driving, the base Cayenne was fairly economical (22 m.p.g. on the highway) yet peppy, responsive and more nimble than its pricier brethren — particularly in low-speed maneuvers like parking. It is easily the most driver-involving choice in the Cayenne lineup.

Over all, the 2008 Cayenne benefits from freshened styling, slicker aerodynamics and more user-friendly ergonomics. Technically, this is a new-generation S.U.V., but it is hardly a clean-sheet-of-paper redesign.

The Cayenne still shares its structure with the Volkswagen Touareg, and this not particularly people-friendly people-hauler still comes in just one rather confining size, with two rows of seats that accommodate as many as five passengers. Rear legroom remains cramped. Rearward and side-to-side visibility are not noteworthy. The cargo area is relatively small at 19 cubic feet, though it can be expanded by folding down the second-row seats. It lacks a third-row seat. The load floor is too high.

Though it may not haul cargo, it will haul, um, the bacon.

The superb dual-range all-wheel-drive system, precise steering and stout brakes give the Cayenne surprising dexterity both on and off road. Its low-profile speed-rated tires limit its ability to go rock-crawling, but it is possible for Cayenne to navigate all manner of terrain into which a sane person should never, ever take a $100,000 vehicle.
An optional off-road package adds a locking rear differential, hydraulically disconnecting stabilizer bars and skid plates. Active antiroll bars are now available on models with the air suspension.

A new Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control system works with the optional air suspension to hydraulically limit body roll through turns. The system also improves driver control by isolating the steering — not to mention the cabin — from the jolts of undulating surfaces. The chassis control system is a big upgrade in handling and performance dynamics. It really works.
But it is a $3,150 option. Ouch! And there is more. The special air suspension needed for the chassis control comes standard only on the more expensive Turbo model and is optional on the base and S — so the total price for both systems on each of those models is a staggering $6,500.

This raises a fundamental question: Why should a Porsche buyer have to pay extra for optimal handling? Anyone who owns a Porsche has a right to expect nothing less.

The dynamic chassis control is one of two crucial improvements that most differentiate the new Cayenne from the first generation. The other is new, more-powerful engines, including the only Porsche V-8s on the planet.
In the base model, the enhancements don’t cost extra. But the S and Turbo models now have starting prices thousands of dollars higher than in the first generation. The 4.8-liter V-8 in the $60,795 Cayenne S has been juiced for a horsepower rating of 385 — up 45 from last year’s S.

The $94,595 Cayenne Turbo has a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V-8 with an added 50 horsepower. Total output is now a positively sociopathic 500 horses (and 516 pound-feet of torque). Porsche says highway fuel economy is up 15 percent for the Cayenne S and 11 percent for the Turbo, thanks to new direct fuel injection.

The Turbo is such a rocket, it sometimes felt as if it could overpower its chassis; I didn’t find it particularly fun to drive. Once the neighborhood slammers have been trounced in stoplight drag races, ennui sets in. The Turbo begins to seem like a bully without a cause.

Hard-core enthusiasts who don’t need grocery-hauling capability or the continual company of their four closest friends might find longer-term happiness in a Cayman.

All the changes do add up to a spicier blend of Cayenne. If you are rich enough not to care about Porsche’s pricing schemes, the ’08 Cayenne is truly a remarkable performer. My advice would be to buy the slick-handling base model and hide the window sticker.
INSIDE TRACK: Freshly ground pepper.

[trueX5er]

I think the refresh made the pepper look nicer, but it still has porsche maintence and ownership costs, and almost nothing is standard equipment. I like the new Touareg 2, it got a good refresh, too. Between the V6 Cayenne (base) and V6 Touareg2 (loaded), i'd get the VW.

[B-Line]

I like the pepper. I give it a second place vote behind the X5..
Having said that, should BMW not soon release info on the "is" version of the new X5, PEPPER TURBO, here I come...

Yes, I would rather own an X... But November is slowly approaching.

B

[xnsf]

don't like the black pseudo window thing on the hatch...

but i like it...

still don't think it's too fair that they're comparing a "pedestrian" X5 to high performance models...

[AzNMpower32]

Hmph. The X5 gets better fuel economy than the others. That's all that matters

[Meiac09]

Originally Posted by trueX5er

I like the new Touareg 2, it got a good refresh, too. Between the V6 Cayenne (base) and V6 Touareg2 (loaded), i'd get the VW.

Haha funny you should mention that.
Back when we got our touareg, the neighbors got a Pepper V6. They paid $10g's more for the same, stripped (and uglier IMO) car that we had bursting at the seams with toys and things that move... T2's look nice, but I think one $40k+ VW is more than enough (hence the e70 trolling )