New Porsche Cayenne Turbo S breaks 'Ring record
Porsche unveils 'S' version of Cayenne Turbo with 562bhp at Detroit, stealing SUV Nurburgring record from Range Rover Sport SVR
Porsche has been keeping its enthusiasts happy at the Detroit Motor Show with two new models - as well as unveiling the Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS, the Stuttgart-based firm has pulled the wraps off the fastest Cayenne SUV yet - the storming Turbo S. It's on sale in the UK in March, priced from £118,455.
Featuring the bi-turbo 4.8-litre V8 from the already potent Cayenne Turbo, the 'S' has been re-engineered to produce 562bhp, 20bhp up from before. Torque also jumps up to 800Nm, a 50Nm increase. These susbtantial numbers help the two-and-a quarter tonne luxury SUV shoot from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than before. Top speed is 176mph.
As a result of these figures, the Cayenne Turbo S has, according to Porsche, lapped the North loop of the Nurburgring in 7:59.74. That's a new record for the SUV class, beating the record time previously held by the Range Rover Sport SVR by over 14 seconds.
Achieving all this took more than a quick ECU retune: Porsche has completely redesigned the turbochargers so they are now housed directly in the exhaust manifolds. This improves combustion, allowing more efficient running and therefore better output.
But the Turbo S isn't all about power. Standard-fit 420mm Composite Ceramic brakes feature on the front wheels, with ten-piston calipers for the first time. Porsche's PDCC active chassis control reduces body roll, and the Torque Vectoring function works with the four-wheel drive system to make individual interventions with specific wheels.
A sports exhaust system is also available as an option in combination with a switchable 'sound symposer'; a system that uses the interior speakers to transmit an artificially-created enhancement of the V8 into the cabin.