by Matt Nelson
Jump Links
- The Turbocharged Porsche With A Soft Spot For Family
- How The '03 Cayenne Turbo Performs
- The Cayenne Turbo's Competitor That Was Seven Years Late
These days, there are quite a few SUVs that fall into the "performance" sub-genre of the segment. Think of models like the Ford Explorer ST or the Nissan Armada NISMO. Sure, they're big, heavy, and built for families, but they also exhibit a slew of performance-oriented upgrades to give owners a bit more excitement on the school run. However, turn back the clock just a couple of decades, and the performance SUV was virtually non-existent, save for a few limited-production examples here and there.
In the early 2000s, Porsche saw an opportunity. The German automaker had just released its first SUV, the Cayenne, to relative success. Luxury SUVs were still rather new, especially in the US. While we did have models like the Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator, these were heavy, V8-powered SUVs without a whiff of performance in their big bones. In order to capitalize on the lack of performance in the SUV market, Porsche released the Cayenne Turbo. It boasted a twin-turbocharged V8 and a shape reminiscent of the Porsche 911, one of the most iconic sports cars ever made.
The Turbocharged Porsche With A Soft Spot For Family
Porsche
Quick Facts About The Porsche Cayenne Turbo
- Introduced in 2003
- Features a twin-turbocharged V8
- Built on the VW PL71 platform
- Marked the first twin-turbo, performance SUV ever made
- Reaches 60 mph from a standstill in under six seconds
When the Porsche Cayenne was first introduced, it actually marked the first off-road-oriented vehicle produced by the Stuttgart-based brand since the 1950s, when it was busy producing the Super and Junior-series tractors. Unless you count the Group B-intended 959 as off-road-oriented, although that certainly looks more at home on the black stuff. In addition, the Cayenne was also the first V8-powered Porsche to roll off the factory floor since 1995, when the 928 was discontinued after a 17-year run. In short, the Cayenne was a large, risky leap for Porsche, and even went against some things the brand had previously stood for.
Porsche
When the Cayenne was finally unveiled to the public at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, reception was mixed. Some folks were in love with the new, then-futuristic look and the direction Porsche was going. Others, namely purists, saw the Cayenne as a derivation from what Porsche stood for, which was the production of finely-honed driving machines. An SUV was seen as a sort of sell-out, a way for the brand to bring in some extra profit for the benefit of Volkswagen, its parent company.
Porsche
However, after a short and unsteady period wherein Porsche was scrutinized for its decision to produce an SUV, public opinion began to warm to the new model. The Cayenne began to showcase that it was in fact a well-sorted driving machine, and, reportedly, every bit a proper Porsche. At the same time as the Cayenne's unveiling, Porsche also released a hotter, more aggressive version called the Turbo. It inadvertently became the world's first twin-turbocharged, factory-produced performance SUV.
A Porsche 911 Turbo With Space For Kids
Porsche
The question that some folks had when Porsche released a turbocharged SUV was, "What's the point?" After all, you can't fully blame them, because it seemed that making a performance SUV at the time was very much unfounded, and not rooted in fiscal logic. However, it seems that Porsche may have received a vision of the future, as it was onto something. Not to mention, the Cayenne Turbo was more than powerful enough to bring some well-earned fun to the weekly grocery trip.
Read the full article on CarBuzz
This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
