Walter Röhrl Tests Porsche Cayenne Prototype At Hockenheimring

Walter Röhrl has been testing a new more powerful Porsche Cayenne model at the Hockenheimring in Germany. Röhrl, who is a two-time World Rally Champion and a Porsche Brand Ambassador, had put a lightly camouflaged Cayenne prototype through its paces in a tough test of its capabilities on the Grand Prix circuit. He described the new Cayenne as a “great leap forward compared to everything that has gone before. This car redefines the meaning of the term SUV”.

The Porsche Cayenne made its debut in 2002, offering sports car-like performance in a usable and practical package. The model line-up evolved to feature more powerful models such as the Cayenne Turbo S in 2006, with 521 PS, and the sporty Cayenne GTS in 2007. “They were off-road vehicles that could be driven like sports cars – a real sensation at the time,” says Röhrl, when looking back at the first Cayenne generation, which had the internal designation ‘E1′.

With the new model, which is currently undergoing final testing and optimisation as part of development to series production maturity, Porsche aims to underline its claim to best-in-class performance once again. The focus for this derivative has been on exceptional on-road performance without neglecting driving comfort and everyday usability. It is based on the current Cayenne Turbo Coupé, but has been designed and fine-tuned even more to provide the ultimate in terms of longitudinal and lateral dynamics.

Along with a host of other enhancements for all chassis and control systems, the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control active roll stabilisation system makes a major contribution to the stable handling of the new Cayenne model with a new, performance-oriented set-up.

“The PDCC always keeps the body balanced and level even during very spirited cornering,” explains Porsche test driver Lars Kern, who has accompanied development of the high-performance model from the start. Its handling is also improved by its comprehensively revamped front axle: “Compared with the Cayenne Turbo Coupé, the front rims are now half an inch wider, and negative camber has been increased by 0.45 degrees in order to provide a larger contact area for the 22″ sports tyres newly developed especially for this model,” said Kern, who recently invited Walter to Hockenheim for the test drives.

The visual highlights of the new Cayenne are still largely hidden under black camouflage but Röhrl had already gained an in-depth impression of the outstanding driving dynamics potential of the new Cayenne model. Accompanied by the emotive sound of the new titanium exhaust system, which is equipped with centrally positioned tailpipes, the brand ambassador was very impressed after his Hockenheim laps: “The car remains incredibly stable even in fast corners, and its turn-in behaviour is extremely precise. More than ever, you have the feeling that you are sitting in a compact sports car rather than in a large SUV.”