When a company renowned for their ‘on the edge’ sports cars decide to build a SUV, they can come remarkably close to making it handle like one also.
The Porsche Cayenne is a mid-size, luxury, sports SUV that does a very good job of imitating a Porsche 911, especially when you put it in “sports mode,” which changes a number of electronically modulated variables such as throttle, transmission maps, handling parameters, and so on to give this large vehicle nimble handling.
A manufacturer of sports cars with the emphasis on sports, Porsche has made sure that this outstanding performance goes together directly with an equally supreme standard of sporting and agile handling, excellent driving dynamics and, not least, superior safety reserves. Indeed, precisely these are the decisive criteria in the creation of sports cars at Porsche’s Research and Development Centre in Weissach. The Cayenne, Porsche is carrying over this philosophy into the segment of Sports Utility Vehicles, without in any way neglecting the demand for outstanding off-road capability. Various highlights in technology making their world debut in the Cayenne therefore ensure an optimum blend of supreme on-road and equally outstanding off-road driving qualities.
The foundation, the interaction of power distribution and chassis, is provided by Porsche Traction Management (PTM) with active all-wheel drive and air suspension including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). Active PTM drives the rear axle directly. The multi-plate clutch is electronically controlled by an electric motor and regulates the distribution of drive power to the front axle in a fully variable manner and without fixed distribution. If slipping of the rear axle occurs, for instance when accelerating, the multi-plate clutch intervenes to direct more power to the front axle. This allows gearing of the active four-wheel drive for maximum driving dynamics, which responds before unwanted slippage occurs on either axle.
The Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), which comes as standard in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, further enhances vehicle dynamics and stability. The system uses variable torque distribution to the rear wheels, and an electronically controlled rear differential lock. PTV Plus improves the steering response and steering precision depending on steering angle and speed, accelerator pedal position, yaw rate and vehicle speed by ways of specific braking of the respective inside rear wheel. This results in direct and dynamic turning into the corner. The electronically controlled rear axle differential lock ensures greater driving stability at high speeds, when cornering at speed, or when the wheels are spinning.
The Cayenne Turbo S is designed to translate supreme power into exceptional driving dynamics. Accordingly, the new top model of the Porsche SUV range is just about fully equipped with all the technical systems that support a sporty driving style.
The chassis offers an even more extensive ability to cater for both sportiness and comfort. This is mainly due to the special adjustment of air suspension and PASM in conjunction with new bearings and dampers. The standard use of the active anti-roll system Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) rounds off the equipment. The chassis control system enhances both driving performance and comfort, as well as ensuring maximum agility and optimal balance of the car. The hydraulic rotary actuators of the active stabilisers on the front and rear axle, generate appropriate forces depending on the steering angle and lateral acceleration forces to counteract the lateral inclination of the vehicle. This results in an extremely comfortable and sporty driving experience, combined with outstanding agility throughout the driving speed range, as well as optimal cornering and balanced load change behaviour.
If you want to see what an SUV can do when it is designed to be a sports car, go test drive one. You’ll be impressed.
