2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS Tiptronic

Sport-utility vehicle with sports car performance

By Nina Russin

Ever since Porsche announced that it was introducing a sport-utility vehicle, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the Cayenne. My feelings have nothing to do with the Cayenne’s performance: Porsche doesn’t build anything that I don’t enjoy driving.

But I can’t reconcile the Cayenne’s two box architecture with Porsche’s sports car heritage. To me, it muddies the waters.

Having said that, the Cayenne is as much an expression of Porsche’s “it” factor as a SUV can be. It’s light on its feet, sinuous and fast. The Tiptronic transmission offers performance close to a manual gearbox, without the inconvenience of a clutch pedal.

Exterior styling incorporates cues from Porsche’s sports cars such as the teardrop headlamps and broad wheel arches.  Dual exhausts with oval chrome tips remind those in back that the Cayenne is all business. The Cayenne’s coefficient of drag is 0.36: pretty slippery for a high-profile vehicle.

Inside, the driver is treated to Alcantara leather seats with adjustable lumbar, padded steering wheel, and floor-mounted leather shift lever. The ignition switch is to the left of the steering wheel, as it is in Porsche sports cars. Read the rest of this entry »