How The Cayenne Saved Porsche And Became One Of Its Best-Selling Models Today

The story of how the Cayenne saved Porsche can be traced back to a prediction made by Ferry Porsche back in 1989, long before it debuted. He said, "If we build an off-road model according to our standards of quality, and it has a Porsche crest on the front, people will buy it." Unfortunately, Professor Dr. Ing. h.c. Ferdinand Anton Ernst "Ferry" Porsche died in 1998, just a few years before he would be proven right.

The origins of the Cayenne, one of the Porsches with the most horsepower, date back to the early 1990s, when Porsche was facing a major economic crisis. It was losing money, and sales were seriously slumping — production output for the 1991-92 financial year was only 23,060 cars. The launch of the Boxster in 1996 helped boost Porsche's volume, but it was not enough, and a third vehicle would be necessary to achieve profitability. It was Porsche's U.S.-based sales division that strongly recommended this third vehicle be an SUV, as the body style was selling well in the U.S., Porsche's largest market back then. 

The Cayenne was part of Project Colorado, in which the Cayenne and VW Touareg would share a platform, with each automaker using its own engines, chassis settings, and body panels. Sales exceeded Porsche's projections of 25,000 units per year — for its first eight years on the market, worldwide Cayenne sales averaged nearly 35,000 examples each year. Mission accomplished. 

The Porsche Cayenne was revealed to the world at the Paris Motor Show in September 2002 as a 2003 model. There were initially two models available, both with 4.5-liter V8 engines — the 340-hp naturally aspirated (NA) Cayenne S, and the twin-turbocharged Cayenne Turbo boasting 450 hp. Model year 2004 saw the introduction of an entry-level Cayenne model with a 3.2-liter V6 engine producing 246 hp, followed in 2006 by a new top-dog Cayenne, the Turbo S, with an upgraded 4.5-liter turbo putting out 520 hp. Here are five of the most powerful engines ever put in a Porsche Cayenne.

For model year 2007, the Cayenne received a facelift, elevating both its styling and engine output. The base Cayenne received a VR6 engine with 290 hp, while the NA Cayenne S got a bigger 4.8-liter V8 with 385 hp and the same engine in the boosted Turbo was rated at 500 hp. Model year 2008 brought a new model, the even sportier-handling Cayenne GTS, with a more highly tuned NA V8 producing 405 hp, 20 more than the S. When model year 2009 rolled around, the Cayenne Turbo S came back, this time with 550 hp pouring out of its 4.8-liter twin-turbocharged engine. A Cayenne Diesel was also released for 2009, incorporating a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel with 237 hp. The 2010 model year was the last for the first-generation Porsche Cayenne, which was replaced by the second-generation model in 2011.

The Porsche Cayenne is still important to Porsche's lineup, but it's no longer the top selling vehicle. A smaller, less-expensive Porsche SUV has been added to the lineup — the Porsche Macan. Even so, Cayenne remains the bigger Porsche SUV in the Porsche lineup. The current Porsche Cayenne line is available in either SUV or Coupe body styles. 

Pricing starts with the entry-level 348-hp Cayenne which has a base price of $86,800 for the SUV and $91,900 for the Coupe. The next step up is the 463-hp Cayenne E-Hybrid, at $98,900 for the SUV and $102,900 for the Coupe. After that comes the 468-hp Cayenne S, with the SUV priced at  $103,700 and the Coupe at $110,100. Following the S is the 512-hp Cayenne S E-Hybrid at a cost of $106,900 for the SUV and the Coupe coming in at $112,200. Then there is the 493-hp Cayenne GTS, with the SUV landing at $127,000 and the Coupe tallying up at $131,600. 

Next is the 729-hp Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, yours for $158,800 in SUV form and $163,300 as a Coupe. For those wanting the maximum Cayenne, the range-topping 650-hp Cayenne Turbo GT, available only as a Coupe, is priced at $205,900. Add $2,250 delivery, processing and handling fee to your chosen trim level. Performance of the Cayenne ranges from the entry-level Cayenne SUV's 0-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds down to 3.3 seconds for the Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe.