Impossible to imagine ten years ago, but true: The Porsche Cayenne is a 165-mph high-performance machine that will fit a family of five, haul a small washing machine, tow a large boat and get you carefully through the woods when there's no road. It's a 5000-pound speed-sled that can handle rugged trails.Porsche performance, design and engineering values come at a premium price, however. The Volkswagen Touareg V8 has German engineering and similar horsepower, equipment, luxury and utility for about $15,000 less than the Cayenne S. Yes, the Cayenne has unique Porsche character, but it shares its basic floor plan with Touareg, and both are very good SUVs.
Do rapid acceleration, excellent brakes and the right sounds add up to a Porsche, or just a nice SUV that goes faster than the rest and costs more than most? We can't imagine that many buyers need the extreme mix of attributes offered by the Cayenne Turbo. But then, how many buyers actually need an SUV? Often, need isn't the issue or even the primary motivation in purchasing an automobile. Having built smallish, specialized, really fun sports cars for more than 50 years, Porsche knows that better than most.
Mitch McCullough contributed to this report from Los Angeles.