What's new: Besides a leaner body, larger interior, and superior gas mileage, the 2011 Cayenne Turbo is the first Porsche truck that will make 911 Turbo owners want an SUV.
What it's like to drive: Put the words Porsche and Turbo together, and the result tends to be one of blazing quickness. For the new Cayenne Turbo, that phenomenon has not changed. Blessed with a 4.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 that shakes the earth with 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet, the hottest of Porsche peppers fires from 0 to 60 in roughly 4.4 seconds yet delivers estimated fuel economy (14/20) equaling that of last year's V-6. Grip from the available 295/35R21 Michelin Latitude Sport tires is immense, and stopping force, courtesy of optional Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes, is laughable, as in the eye-popping deceleration will leave you giggling in amazement.
The new Cayenne Turbo somehow makes the idea of lapping an SUV all day at a racetrack seem perfectly normal. That said, the Turbo is equally at home on the dirt track, thanks to a three-level off-road system that alters the height of the air suspension, locks the center and rear differentials as needed, and utilizes a fully variable Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system that can apportion up to 100 percent of torque to the front or rear axle. And with the ultra-intuitive PTM, an eight-speed whose first gear is shorter than that of last year's six-speed, and a sizeable 8.5 inches of ground clearance, the 2011's lack of a reduction gear is not missed.
You'll like: The OMG acceleration. The OMG braking. The OMG cornering.
You won't like: The OMG pricetag.
Sum up: OMG!
Read more: First Look, Photo Gallery, Hot Metal