The Porsche Carrera GT made its debut in 2004, a year worthy of special mention in the annals of car enthusiasts everywhere. The fact that it has been meticulously engineered to be as light as possible, without sacrificing safety, is apparent when you learn that even its transmission mounts use carbon reinforced plastic. The German engineering is so advanced on the Carrera GT, that the very components making up the suspension act to increase the aerodynamics. Then, ultra light materials like magnesium are used in the wheels and the frames of its unique sports seats. The end result: uninhibited speed combined with increased safety. The blistering speed results posted by the Porsche Carrera GT clearly justify its lightweight composition. It disappears into the horizon doing 0 - 60 mph in only 3.9 seconds. Not bad for starters, but it gets even better. It can reach a dizzying 100 mph in just under seven seconds; it then reaches a mind boggling 125 mph in just under ten seconds! All this awe inspiring performance is made possible by this dream car's 5.5 liter V-10 engine, meticulously engineered at Porsche's development center located outside of Weissach, Germany.
The engine has been bored to 5.7 and encompasses the use of multiple valves, with four per cylinder. The unmatched performance of the Porsche Carrera GT's engine also has much to do with its total weight, or lack thereof. Its block, crankshaft and cam shafts are all constructed of ultra lightweight alloys, bringing its total weight to a mere 470 pounds! This race horse represents the perfect combination of speed and built-in safety features. As an example, it comes equipped with a high-tech braking system using ceramic brakes. Such a design is the first ever built into a street car - if you can call it that. Knowing that you have the braking system capable of stopping this rocket ship effectively and safely is very reassuring, to say the least. Any blue-blooded, dyed-in-the-wool car enthusiast will love the majestic signature look of the Porsche Carrera GT, even before they glimpse its indomitable performance! 450,000. Wanna take it for a spin?
Battery capacity and performance has improved versus the outgoing Cayenne hybrid, as you鈥檇 expect. The 2019 version uses eight battery modules made from 13 cells apiece, with a total capacity of 14.1 kilowatt-hours and is rated at 382 volts. The headline stat from that bigger battery is an electric-only range of 27 miles (44 kilometers), when measured on the European cycle. Improved fuel economy is also expected, though we鈥檙e going to have to wait a bit in the U.S. EPA numbers (the Cayenne E-Hybrid won鈥檛 be on sale in the U.S. The headline stat from that bigger battery is an electric-only range of 27 miles. That sounds like a lot of complexity under the skin, but the net net is a hard-charging (no pun intended) big Porsche, with exceptional driving dynamics relative to its size and class. My drive route trailed the Mediterranean coast, starting from the French city of Montpellier. It transitioned between narrow roads and slow-moving diesel hatchbacks (or occasional tractors), offering ample opportunity to feel the full boost from the turbo and electric motor.
Even when starting off in electric-only mode, the system understood from the throttle鈥檚 position when I was asking for all of the available thrust from engine and motor. If you were concerned about the bread-and-butter Cayenne also being somewhat polarizing because of its advanced powertrain, don鈥檛 be. You can drive this model anyway that pleases you, from hypermiling for EV range to maximum attack, and feel satisfied in all cases. And there are driving modes to suit each, from E-Power (all electric), to Hybrid Auto (max efficiency), to the self-explanatory Sport and Sport Plus. Porsche鈥檚 newest, most hilarious party trick is on offer here, too: the Sport Response button that gives you a 20-second window with all variable vehicle settings switched automatically to 鈥減ass-that-guy mode.鈥?I love it. The battery-laden Cayenne does carry a few more pounds than its ICE-only counterparts. The curb weight of 5,060 pounds is nearly 700-lbs heavier than the base Cayenne, or about 600 more than the similarly priced and powered Cayenne S. But handling, at least on curvy roads, doesn鈥檛 seem to suffer much.
The E-Hybrid is really planted and happy on long sweepers, with agility enough to tackle aggressively twisted roads with grace, too. Both of the test vehicles I drove were equipped with the optional active air suspension, which did a phenomenal job of staying stiff in a hard corner, without punishing the driver when cruising on the highway. The electromechanical power steering with a 12.2:1 ratio (with the optional rear-axle steering) is more than fast enough to respond rapidly to inputs, but it鈥檚 still not my favorite Porsche tiller. Yes, it鈥檚 fitting that the SUV get slightly duller, more filtered steering than a Cayman, but I was left wanting just an iota more communication from the wheel. Porsche was crowing about other new Cayenne luxury features, like a full-color head-up display and massaging seats, but, sadly, neither were available on any of my test vehicles. Generally speaking, however, this Cayenne has a lot more appeal to someone shopping for a quick luxury SUV than it might to 鈥渢raditional鈥?Porsche enthusiasts.
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