Apparently wi-fi at the L.A. Convention Center is at more of a premium than gasoline these days, as we’re getting info out of L.A. in virtually every form imaginable. Stuart managed to let us know that Porsche unveiled a new Cayenne Turbo S sporting an updated 4.5L, twin-turbo V8 producing 520 hp. Only the Carrera supercar has (had) more power in Porsche’s lineup. 0-60 should go by in a 4.8 second blink en route to a 167 mph top speed. The brakes are larger 19-inch discs clamped by six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear, of course with ABS.
You don’t need to take my word for it, the new Cayenne Turbo S is already up on Porsche’s website. It starts at $111,600, which is a pretty steep premium for a ute that can barely outrun the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (0-60 listed as “Under 5 Seconds”), which starts at a paltry $39,995.
Making its worldwide launch in Los Angeles is the 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, a new higher-performance version of Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo sport-utility vehicle. With a modified version of the Cayenne Turbo’s 4.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8, the new Cayenne Turbo S puts the emphasis squarely on “sport.” Combined with chassis dynamics tuned for enthusiasts, and sophisticated all-wheel-drive underpinnings, the Cayenne Turbo S sets the performance benchmark for SUV’s.
In addition to boosting power output, Porsche engineers also modified suspension components, revised software controls for the Porsche Active Suspension Management system and beefed up the braking hardware. An optional SportDesign exterior body kit, developed in conjunction with Porsche’s styling studio, is also available for the Cayenne Turbo S.
Changes to the powerplant in the Cayenne Turbo S include larger intercoolers, which allowed an increase in turbo boost pressure, raising engine output 16 percent over the 450-horsepower Cayenne Turbo. Peak power is now 520 horsepower at 5500 rpm. The torque generated by the twin-turbocharged, 4.5-liter V-8 engine swells to 530 lb-ft %u2015 a 15-percent increase over the 2006 Cayenne Turbo.
Flowing through intelligent all-wheel-drive and stability management systems, the additional power of the Cayenne Turbo S produces a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) time of just 4.8 seconds—a supercar that seats five.
The additional thrust is countered with even larger brakes, which feature six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers up front, and four-piston versions in the rear, framed by standard 20-inch Cayenne SportTechno wheels. Maintained is the 38-/62-percent front/rear torque split, which avoids the nose-heavy handling characteristics of most SUV’s, and imbues all Cayennes with handling dynamics more in line with Porsche’s rear-drive sports cars. These traits are so sought after by enthusiast drivers, that the Cayenne has become the best selling of all Porsche models.
