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2005 Porsche Cayenne V6 Road Test

Fastest SUV on the Planet? Not!

Its a sure sign of the times that not only does a fastest SUV on the planet title actually exists, but also that high-end automobile manufacturers are falling all over themselves to claim it.

A decade or so ago the only trucks on a Porsche, BMW or Mercedes lot were the ones delivering parts through the back door. Today, trucks share the showroom with sleek sports cars and in many cases command the same sticker price.

Personally speaking, the compromise created in cross-breeding a truck with

As sales figures show, North Americans are sold on the idea of high-performance SUVs. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

a sports car makes about as much sense to me as building a reality show around an adopted kid guessing who her father is. But, as sales figures show, North Americans are sold on the idea of high-performance SUVs - as to the ratings for "Whos Your Daddy"... Im scared to look.

Keen

Keen to keep their fastest truck title, Porsche engineers have upped the ante with the 2005 Cayenne. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

to keep their fastest truck title, Porsche engineers have upped the ante with the 2005 Cayenne, particularly the uber-insane Turbo Tequipment model, which sees its horsepower boosted from 450 in the standard Turbo to 500. According to Porsche press notes, the Turbo Cayenne with Tequipment performance package can go from a standing start to 60 mph in a scant 5.2 seconds. For comparisons sake, the new Carrera

Interior fit and finish is excellent, and the gauges, controls and seats are of the highest quality and functionality. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

911 sports car, weighing in at a ton lighter than the Cayenne, incidentally, takes 5.5 seconds to reach the legal speed limit.

For those who dont need to get to the shopping mall in such a hurry, the base Cayenne offers much the same as the Turbo, save the ponies, big 19-inch wheels and massive brakes (not to mention the extra $70,000 plus needed for the more powerful version).

But there are new upgrades and options for even the pedestrian Cayenne in 2005, including a massive

The Cayennes performance and handling are what youd expect from the German automaker. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

glass roof that features several panels and no less than 15 possible positions. Also, borrowing some high-tech gadgetry from the Japanese SUV marketplace, a rearview camera makes its debut on the new Cayenne.

As much as Im not overly impressed with the notion of a Porsche SUV -- or for that matter a Bimmer or Mercedes one -- it is true that the build quality of the Cayenne is pure Porsche. Interior fit and finish is excellent, and the gauges, controls and seats are of the highest quality and functionality.

Likewise, the Cayennes performance and handling are what youd expect from the German automaker. Precise cornering and great

The V6 moves the base Cayenne along at a fair clip, not neck-snapping at 8.6 seconds to 60 mph, but adequate for keeping up to and even passing highway traffic. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

braking convey to the driver a real sense of confidence, and as I found when I took the SUV onto an off-road track, its four-by-four abilities are a pleasant surprise. Still, Im not sure how many Cayenne owners would want to scrape a tree branch down the side of their buffed ride.

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