with Rosie Ogden
Cayenne is hot stuff
OKAY, so I can think of many better things to do on a Saturday morning than stand around for hours on a very windy hilltop waiting to try Porsche’s latest incarnation, the four-wheel-drive Cayenne. It was freezing, and as the hours ticked by and there seemed to be no move to invite us to actually get behind the wheel, I started thinking about all the other things I could be doing.
The day got off to a somewhat inauspicious start when the reigning Cyprus off-road champion took the Cayenne Turbo on a circuit of the off-road obstacles and as he was half way up a rocky incline the car came to a halt, its wheels in a rut. As he pumped the gas the front wheel spun round and there was an almighty crack followed by a sound not unlike a heavy metal object going round in a washing machine: one broken stub axle, and we were down to one test car, the Cayenne S.
Though the invitation had promised “the Cayenne driving experience”, devoted to “driving by participants”, most of the guests (who had paid for the privilege) seemed happy to ride as passengers while the off-road expert did the driving.
When many had succumbed to the icy wind and departed, I finally removed myself from the car in which I had taken shelter and asked when we were going to get a drive.
Though very short, it was sweet. The Cayenne boasts all the luxury you’d expect inside a Porsche and I really couldn’t fault it off-road. Conditions were dry, and therefore not ideal for heavy mud-plugging, but the Cayenne took steep inclines and tight, rocky turns in its stride: with the driver having to do very little other than steer the car. Going downhill, it’s feet off the pedals and let the downhill assist do the work, uphill and just keep your foot on the gas while the car sends the power to whichever wheels have grip — if one wheel is in mid-air, the other three wheels get the power until all four are back on terra firma again.
The car’s ride height can be adjusted so that you can raise it for very rocky terrain, and Porsche’s Traction Management system (featuring off-road ABS and ABD) combines with Stability Management to achieve optimum traction regardless of the type of surface. Although we didn’t try it, Porsche say the Cayenne can also travel through water up to half a metre deep, thanks to an innovative “seal concept” and high level air intake and transmission ventilation.
The Germans makers claim the Cayenne is not just another SUV, but a true Porsche, so it was imperative to test it on the tarmac too (let’s face it, despite its impressive off-road credentials, most owners — at least in Cyprus — are not going to venture off the beaten track).
Wednesday morning saw me again at the Porsche showroom, in pouring rain (perfect conditions for a really muddy off-road test, but I was told I couldn’t go off-road without an ‘expert’ accompanying me).
I was a bit put off as we headed out of town to be constantly assailed by a bleeping noise, which the chap from Porsche explained was the (optional on the S) park assist system indicating that solid objects were within a certain distance of the car. In traffic, of course, that’s usually the case, so it was a relief to be able to disable it, and switch it on again when it was needed — which it was when we manoeuvred into position in the narrow streets of Ayios Dhometios to take photos.
Sure enough, on the highway the 340 bhp 4.5 litre V8 engine offers all the power you could ask for, and before I knew it the clock was reading 170 mph. Amazingly, most potential customers seem to be more interested in the 450 bhp Turbo, and I’m still trying to figure out what they’ll do with all those horses in Cyprus.
The automatic transmission means there’s not a lot to do in terms of driving, but the Tiptronic system allows you to shift manually if you want, and the version I drove had buttons on the steering wheel to shift up and down, or — if you prefer — you can do it with the gear lever.
The suspension settings can also be changed at the flick of a switch: there’s a choice of ‘comfort’, ‘normal’ and ‘sport’, the latter giving you rather more feedback as the suspension becomes noticeably stiffer.
I didn’t like the way the stability management came into play when cornering hard — there was a noticeable judder as the brakes were applied automatically to correct understeer, but doubtless the system works a treat in normal driving conditions, and though Porsche say you can, this really isn’t the sort of car you’d want to thrash around in the same way as a low-slung sports car.
The luxurious interior is very Porsche, with electrically adjustable leather seats, double sun visors and plenty of space and comfort. There was no spare wheel, just a pack of mousse, but you can opt for a space-saving spare in the cargo floor or a proper wheel attached to the tailgate.
At £79,900 (£38,300 duty free) for the S and £111,900 (£57,300 df) for the Turbo, you probably won’t see too many Cayennes on (or off) our roads, but whichever way you look at it, Porsche’s new incarnation is pretty hot stuff.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
