Those who prefer to blaze a trail of their own don鈥檛 need to follow the lead of others. We鈥檙e thinking specifically about cars known as compact SUVs, characterized by five doors, five seats, all-wheel drive - and, of course, a higher sitting position. But aren鈥檛 they lacking a certain something? Something that adds a little life, lets us enjoy a more intimate relationship with the road and delivers intense driving pleasure. A concept that boasts plenty of space for hobbies, leisure and sport. But no room for compromise. Compact, concentrated and intensive, but still powerful. Practical, but never ordinary. Porsche. Utterly unlike any vehicle you'll ever drive. And Porsche Centre Vancouver is like no other dealership you'll ever drive into. When it comes to the finest in workmanship, technology and exclusivity, you'll want to come to Porsche. So when it comes to buying or servicing your Porsche, we want you to come to Porsche Centre Vancouver. Our certified sales professionals, the most highly trained service technicians in the industry, and an ongoing commitment to customer care all set us apart from the crowd. The facility is centrally located at 688 Terminal Avenue near Main Street with ample customer parking, green rooftop areas and spectacular city views. Porsche Centre Vancouver is Vancouver's certified Porsche dealership and service centre owned and operated by Dilawri Group of Companies, Canada鈥檚 largest automotive group.
Masterfully blending luxury, sport and utility, each of the fierce competitors is brimming with technology and innovation, not to mention volumes of excess poundage. Realizing that weight is the Achilles heel in this segment, the team at Porsche decided to get up off the sofa and do something about the problem. Porsche's engineering team didn't just accept minor liposuction, they axed the fat off. The weight was shed from the body structure and wheels (lots more aluminum), but most of it was lifted when the Cayenne received a new electronically-controlled all-wheel drive system. All told, Porsche shaved roughly 400 pounds off the Cayenne's curb weight (yes, the weight loss works out to 4,177 Twinkies). On the scale, the new Cayenne S weighs 4,553 pounds while the Cayenne Turbo is 4,784 pounds. For comparison, the BMW X5 xDrive48i spins the dial to 5,335 pounds and the flagship X5 M simply flattens the gauge at 5,368 pounds. The Mercedes-Benz ML550 is 4,883 pounds, while the ML63 AMG weighs in at 5,093 pounds.
Low mass translates to better performance. Porsche says the 2011 Cayenne S model needs just 5.6 seconds to hit 60 mph (top speed is 160 mph) while the Turbo rockets to 60 mph in a conservative 4.4 seconds (top speed: 172 mph). Fuel economy numbers have not been released, but the automaker says we can expect double-digit percentage improvements. As previously mentioned, our introduction to the all-new Porsche Cayenne was, interestingly enough, at the racetrack. This is no ordinary circuit - Barber Motorsports Park is a huge racing facility just outside Birmingham, Alabama. Opened in 2003, it features a beautifully manicured 16-turn, 2.3-mile road course that shames our West Coast facilities (if the Four Seasons hotel chain inexplicably dove into auto racing, this would be its inaugural facility). In addition to the very visible main circuit, hidden within the surrounding woods are countless off-road courses on the 740-acre property, which provided plenty of mud, ruts, hills and water obstacles.
And yes, it's home to the Porsche Sport Driving School. We've driven the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG and BMW X5 M (and X6 M) on the track more than once. Although all were plenty fast, the excitement level of driving 2.5-ton SUVs, even those "race-prepared" models, around a road circuit is akin to shooting glass bottles with a Nerf gun. It simply doesn't get our adrenalin flowing. Minutes later, we are strapped into the bolstered front left seat of the Cayenne. Maneuvering through the corners, we expect body roll, squealing tires and understeer, but the Cayenne fails to deliver the bad news. Instead, it seems to land on its feet with the competence of a luxury sport sedan (it felt like we were driving a BMW 5 Series). Flat in the corners, the center of gravity feels two feet lower (it isn't) as we smoothly flow around the track. This is crazy; the Cayenne has forgotten that it is a sport utility vehicle.
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