When Porsche realized some years back that most of its owners parked their 911’s and Boxsters next to a premium SUV in the garage, the German sports car maker set out to create one such model. The end result was the Cayenne-- an off-road capable 4x4 built by a brand famous for world-class, high-performance coupes.
Cayenne hit the scene as a 2003 model that packed four doors, five seats, four-wheel drive and a 4.5 litre, 340-horsepower V8 engine as standard. Optional was a twin-turbocharged version of the standard engine, good for 450 ponies. A six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission was standard.
A 3.2 litre, 247-horsepower V6 engine joined the engine lineup the following year, and for 2006, a 520-horsepower ‘Turbo S’ variant was also available.
Later in the first-generation Cayenne’s life, the V6 engine was punched out to a 3.6 litre unit with 290 horsepower, while the standard V8 became a 4.8 litre unit with 385. The Cayenne Turbo moved to 500 horsepower, and the Turbo S got 550. Finally, a 405-horsepower Cayenne GTS was made available with an up-tuned version of the standard V8.
A six-speed manual was available here, and the GTS ditched the transfer-case based 4x4 system in favour of a more on-road focused AWD system. V6-powered models could be fitted with a six-speed stick, too.
The gist? You’ll find plenty of selection available in the used Cayenne marketplace. Look for goodies like navigation, sunroof, premium audio, Bluetooth, heated leather seats, air-adjustable suspension and a full suite of safety features, too. Note that the Cayenne was face-lifted towards the end of this generation’s life.
Owners typically rave about the way their Cayenne blends off-road capability with on-road comfort and plenty of performance. Brakes, handling and power output were highly rated on virtually all models, too. Spaciousness, flexibility, interior quality and all-weather confidence round out the equation.
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| 2008 Porsche Cayenne (Photo: Porsche) |
Cayenne hit the scene as a 2003 model that packed four doors, five seats, four-wheel drive and a 4.5 litre, 340-horsepower V8 engine as standard. Optional was a twin-turbocharged version of the standard engine, good for 450 ponies. A six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission was standard.
A 3.2 litre, 247-horsepower V6 engine joined the engine lineup the following year, and for 2006, a 520-horsepower ‘Turbo S’ variant was also available.
Later in the first-generation Cayenne’s life, the V6 engine was punched out to a 3.6 litre unit with 290 horsepower, while the standard V8 became a 4.8 litre unit with 385. The Cayenne Turbo moved to 500 horsepower, and the Turbo S got 550. Finally, a 405-horsepower Cayenne GTS was made available with an up-tuned version of the standard V8.
A six-speed manual was available here, and the GTS ditched the transfer-case based 4x4 system in favour of a more on-road focused AWD system. V6-powered models could be fitted with a six-speed stick, too.
The gist? You’ll find plenty of selection available in the used Cayenne marketplace. Look for goodies like navigation, sunroof, premium audio, Bluetooth, heated leather seats, air-adjustable suspension and a full suite of safety features, too. Note that the Cayenne was face-lifted towards the end of this generation’s life.
Owners typically rave about the way their Cayenne blends off-road capability with on-road comfort and plenty of performance. Brakes, handling and power output were highly rated on virtually all models, too. Spaciousness, flexibility, interior quality and all-weather confidence round out the equation.
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| 2008 Porsche Cayenne (Photo: Porsche) |