Accelerate Mpls

Back when the first generation Porsche Cayenne came out Porschephiles (that might not have been a word, but it is now) howled!  They were grabbing their pitch forks and heading to Stuttgart.

The first generation Cayenne was heavy, it could definitely go off road and it was much more capable then most any owner would ever demand of it.  But was it a good vehicle?  That depends on your definition of good.

As I just mentioned above, the first generation was heavy.  The interior was not made of the best quality materials in certain spots (far too many certain spots).  Sure, it could go off road but who really did that with it once they owned it?

What about on-road driving?  Yeah it drove like a Porsche of SUVs, but you could feel the heft.  Yet despite that, the first generation Cayenne quickly become the best-selling Porsche model.  So did the second-generation fix those problems and finally become the true Porsche of SUV’s?

Exterior

The front of the Cayenne has evolved.  It has taken on the look of the new Panamera sedan.  The headlights are very similar and the LED daytime running lights are great looking.  The rear is no longer blocky and square looking, rather it has hips (if you will) and they curve with the tail lights which are LED and very bright at night.  The tail lights are also similar to those found on the new Panamera.  The sides have a nip and tuck towards the bottom with some nice sculpting.  The exterior has been throughly updated and overall feels more taught. The styling falls right in line with the new Panamera.

Interior

As mentioned before, the last generation’s Cayenne interior was nothing to write home about.  In fact it was worse then that, but we wont go into that.  Good news!  The interior of the latest Cayenne is all that and a bag of Skittles.  Have you been in the new Panamera?  Have you been in the last generation Cayenne?  Mix the few good things from the old Cayenne and most everything else from the new Panamera and you have the new Cayenne.  The grab handles between the seats are still there, but the rest was dumped for the new Panamera interior.  The center console rises to meet the dash between the seats.  The touch screen works well and is not ridiculously confusing.  The materials are top notch, though like the Panamera there is a sea of buttons.  Luckily, they are grouped together by function.  The rear seats slide fore and aft to either give rear seat occupants more leg room or to gain more cargo room.  The interior fit and finish, along with materials all meet the bar that was raised in the Porsche line up by the Panamera.

Powertrain

The new Cayenne has three current engine choices, with a hybrid model on the way.  For now, we will focus on the Cayenne S model I was in.  The Cayenne S features the same 4.8-liter direct-injection V-8 that is in the Panamera S sedan.  Pumping out 400 horsepowerp and 369 lb-ft to all four wheels, this is no slouch of an engine.  The power is put down through an eight-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.  Note that this is not the newer PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) transmission in some other new Porsches.  This setup is good for a quoted 5.6 second 0-60 run and a top speed of 160 mph (after all, it is a Porsche).  The Cayenne S is rated at 16/22 MPG and I saw an average of 16.2 mpg in mixed city driving.  The engine features auto start/stop technology for fuel savings at stop lights and in heavy traffic.

This is only when enough energy has been stored from braking.  It is fairly smooth and not intrusive, but you can notice when the V-8 shuts down and starts up.  To lose some of that weight (the new Cayenne is over 400 pounds lighter then the last generation) Porsche dropped the mechanical locking differential and went to a electronic locking differential, among other things.  The weight loss is hugely noticeable!  It feels like the Cayenne went to fat kid camp and came back not only looking leaner, but driving leaner as well.

Overall, this new Cayenne is better in every way compared the original.  I sincerely doubt most any owner is going to miss the mechanical locking differential and accompanying hardware.  The weight loss is noticeable and makes for a better overall vehicle.  The look is leaner, more taught and overall a nice evolution.

The Cayenne S has a base price of $63,700, but as with any Porsche the options list is more then plentiful and they add up quite quickly.  The options list on this exact Cayenne S is a small laundry list but added up to a total of $21,940!  Again, that was not fully loaded.  Total price for the Cayenne S I was in came to $86,615.

While that is not a cheap date, it certainly more worthy of its price tag then the last-generation Cayenne.  This lighter, more luxurious, better handling, better looking Cayenne is the Porsche of SUV’s.  One last thing – there is a lot of competition with more coming so while it is the Porsche of SUV’s, is that enough?  Probably, and it will most likely continue to be one of Porsche’s best selling vehicles, right next to the Panamera.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by a local Porsche dealership

Back in the days of yore if someone suggested there would be a Porsche SUV you would be laughed out of the room but not before getting slapped in the face.  Flash forward to the current year and the best selling model in the Porsche line up is a SUV!  Whoa how did that happen?  It is simple really; a small 2 door car coupe/convertible/etc is not practical for everyone.  To build on that success Porsche figured why not build a four door “sports” car.  People seem to want to purchase a Porsche and some people care about practicality.  The two combined equals a need for more then just two door sports cars.  Now we have a new four door (it is really a five door but more on that later) Porsche sedan.  The real question I had was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest?

The exterior of the Panamera is recognizable as a Porsche without question.  The front end has styling elements that make it look like an enormous redone 911.  The two round headlights have LED strips hanging below them on the bumper.  The LED strips are day time running lights and at night the same housing has another set of lights that come on.  These act as fog lights or driving lights in a sense.  The side profile has nice sculpting from right behind the front fenders down the side.  The rear is what is truly controversial.  Let’s just get something out of the way quickly.  I like this car.  I like the way it looks.  I am apparently weird and I am ok with that.  Ok now moving on, the rear is what some call hunch backed or carrying too much baggage.  Some are saying it is droopy.  Call it what you want but I see Porsche design in it.  This car is nothing short of huge.  It is right around the size of a BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 to mention a few.  Technically speaking the Panamera is a five door since the rear does not have a trunk lid rather a rear hatch.  The quad exhaust peak out from the rear to remind you of the power that lurks in the engine bay both on the naturally aspirated V8 and the Twin Turbo V8.

The interior is not quite as controversial as the exterior.  It is pure sporting luxury.  The seats are comfortable and supportive.  They hug you in all the right places.  These are not barcaloungers and no they will not massage you.  They are meant to hold you in place firmly.  The center console between the driver and passenger runs the length of the car.  In the front it rises up and meets the PCM (Porsche Communication Management System).  This design cue is somewhat similar to the center stack in the Carrera GT.  That center stack houses a dizzying array of buttons though they are all clearly marked and clumped together by function.  The PCM is a touch screen along with plenty of buttons to choose from to help operate it.  This was definitely a complex system but I was able to use it without the owners manual though others in this segment have easier systems to operate.  The interior fit and finish is definitely without question up to Porsche standards if not raising the bar within the company.

The engine in this car was a 4.8 liter direct injected V8 pumping out 400 hp and 369 lb-ft to all four wheels.  Since this was a Panamera 4S all wheel drive was standard.  The one choice transmission was Porsches newer PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) dual clutch transmission.  Launch control is activated by pushing the sport plus button then hitting the brake and then the gas.  You get a visual confirmation launch control is activated and let go of the brake.  You will hear a noise and then suddenly all four wheels grab the pavement and launch the car.  You are thrown back into your seat as the car launches hard and fast.  (PSA – Do this on an empty road two lane road).  You can use the transmission in full automatic mode or shift yourself using the buttons (hate those things) or by moving the gear shift to the manual gate.  The 911 Turbo is getting true paddles this year so hopefully they will trickle down and replace those buttons.  The car without question handles like a true Porsche.  Yes I have driven a different Porsche recently and yes, this does handle differently.  It is a big car, but with that said, the faster you go the smaller the car seems.  It shrinks as you go around corners and off ramps.  It shrugs off speed.  Handling is very impressive.

The particular Panamera 4S I was in had quite a few option packages.  I will skip going through them all though the options rang up to a total of $17,550.  That was on top of the base price of a Panamera 4S which starts at $93,800.  When all is said and done the total sticker price out the door would be $112,325.  That is a lot of coin, but the reality of it is that the Panamera is in the thick of it with the rest of the high priced luxury cars.

The original question was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest?  This car is a true Porsche.  Sure many Porschephile’s will say this is not a true Porsche because it weighs nearly 4,300 lbs and has four doors (by the way, that is light for a car this big).  My only question to them is: have you driven one? While it will not be for everyone the reality of it is simple, higher volume selling vehicles like the Cayenne and possibly the Panamera help keep the lights on for future development of lower volume cars like the 911 and whatever the next halo car might be.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by a local Porsche dealership

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the great folks of Evolution Motorsports.  The crew, led by fearless founder and owner Todd Zuccone, came into town to tune a monster Porsche GT2 for a customer.  They got to work quickly and set up shop at Imola Motorsports with Kevin and his crew for the week.

You know the saying all work and no play makes a something something something?  Well, to avoid that scenario Todd and the crew brought along their latest creation, which they call the “PDK Car.”  This is a 2010 Porsche 997.2 Twin Turbo equipped with the new PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, good luck saying that if you aren’t German) dual clutch transmission, which since this is a 201o model, it has the proper paddle shifters, not those dumb buttons on the steering wheel.

After spending some time talking with Todd, it became very clear why they are one of the leaders in this industry.  When I asked about his company versus the competition, he was very professional.  His responses consisted of statements like “the work speaks for itself” and “really it is about experience”.  After a nice chat, he tossed me the keys to the PDK car.  Of course I had a big stupid grin on my face – because someone just tossed me keys to a 650 hp Porsche.

Below was the set up on the 997.2 TT I drove-

Evolution MotorSports EVT.2 650 HP Performance System
EVOMSit SDI3 ECU Calibration (www.evomsit.com)
EVOMS 65mm Billet VTG Turbochargers
EVOMS ClubSport Headers
EVOMS / Fabspeed 70mm Sport Exhaust w/ GT2 Style Tips
HJS Motorsport 200 Cell Catalysts
EVOMS Billet Boost Diverter Valves

Alright, so I know the real question is what was it like?  Well two things, one I was in the middle of the city and did not have a long time with the car.  Thus I did not have track access.  Secondly, it was rush hour (note to self, plan better for these things).  Regardless the car takes off like a you are being shot out of a rocket.  Keep in mind the turbo 911′s have all wheel drive.  Thus this car was clawing at the pavement from all four corners.  This really made a huge impression with me when launching or even just hitting the gas.  Todd had warned me that the tuning in the software for the PDK downshifts was not 100%.  He was right, it is a little slow on the downshift.  If you pull the left paddle (for a downshift) it has a slight delay and then drops down a gear.  Upshifts are lightning fast and you can feel the shift under hard acceleration.  When I say feel, it feels like a hard fast thud.  Not a sound that makes you cringe however, because it does not sound like it is breaking.  The sound is more of a clean quick shift made at lightning fast speed.  The steering was terrific just like any other Porsche 997.2 TT.  The exhaust sounded great with a strong braaap braaap noise coming with each shift.

The interior was mostly stock, though the seats were not stock – rather they were thin and covered in leather with center inserts to keep you from moving.  They were very tight and you were not going to be moving during an aggressive track session.  The seats also had a harnesses for track days and a fire extinguisher was bolted to the floor directly in front of the passenger seat.  The particular car I was in had a factory navigation and sound system, along with automatic climate control.  That was all fine and dandy, but I turned off the radio and the air conditioning, rolled down the windows and listened to the sweet sound of the tuned 3.8 liter pumping out 650 hp to all four wheels.

They took the car to this past months local Cars & Café , and after that headed over to the track to run some quarter mile figures.  It ran consistent mid 10′s pushing 130 mph.  This was achieved by someone that had never even been in the car.  That in itself is a testament to the ease in which someone who has never gotten into the car can drive it consistently and pull great numbers.

Overall the “PDK car” was a beast.  It was not twitchy or hard to drive, yet it had terrific power delivery.  This is a car that could be tracked on Saturday and still drive to work on Monday.  I already know they are working on a R8 Twin Turbo among other things.  I can only expect to see greater things to come from EVOMS in the near future, and I for one look forward to that.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Evolution Motorsports

On Tuesday evening Carousel Porsche had a private unveiling of the new for 2010 Panamera sedan. This is the first sedan from Porsche and boy did they work hard on this. The sedan has been the center of a lot of controversy both during development and during the launch. The car is all new for Porsche, a true sedan with a front mounted engine and rear or all wheel drive. Featuring a once choice transmission of the new PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) which is Porsche’s dual clutch transmission. True Porsche fans were devastated when the Cayenne was launched as the first SUV in the history of Porsche. The purists said it was too far from true Porsche roots. Truth of the matter is that in the right iteration the Cayenne is every bit a Porsche, well as much as a SUV could be. Funny thing happened though, the Cayenne became the best selling Porsche. The Panamera is again having the purists again crying and saying a four door sedan is can not be a true Porsche.

The front view of the Panamera is great looking. The styling department really put a lot of Porsche DNA in the front end. Looking like a over sized 911, you can see the family resemblance right away. The rear styling is what has people both car aficionados and non a buzz. The rear…well some have called it a hunch back some call it plain ugly. I will say this, in person it truly does look a lot better then in pictures. I can definitely see Porsche DNA in the rear and it is growing on me, though I still would not call its svelte. Function definitely won over form here. A six foot adult will feel more then comfortable for a cross country jaunt in the back. That will not be the case for one of the main competitors the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide. The Rapide has a more form over function approach to the rear seat occupants which limits the rear headroom and legroom. Porsche wanted no compromises inside the Panamera and boy did they win on that note.

The interior is just gorgeous. Yes it is true, there are a lot of buttons on the center console but they are all grouped together by what they control so it is quite easy to learn where each is if you break it up into quadrants. The car is swathed with leather all over the place and the seats are definitely up to keeping you planted while putting down the power. Speaking of power you have two engine choices both featuring direct injection. The base engine is a 4.8 liter V8 putting out 400 hp and 369 lb-ft and if that is not enough power you can step up to the same engine with twin turbos slapped onto it and that will bring power up to 500 hp and 516 lb-ft. The base car is rear wheel drive and has a base price of $89,800 while stepping up to the 4S model that features all wheel drive will set you back $93,800. The twin turbo, the range topping model which only comes in all wheel drive, starts at $132,600. I took a quick test drive in both a regular Panamera 4S and a 4S model that had the sport package which featured both active suspension and dual mode exhaust. Both drives were very short but there is no question this car is a true Porsche. Check the video below for my initial driving impressions. Stay tuned for a first drive review in the near future.