1140 HP Cayenne Turbo Electric Most Powerful Production Porsche Ever

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The first Porsche Cayenne rolled off the assembly line in Leipzig in 2002. At the time, Porschephiles complained that the storied automaker should not be making what they called “trucks.” Of course, for them, only the iconic 911 is a “real” Porsche. They also wept into their wienerschnitzel about the 914/916, which was never accepted by the faithful as a true Porsche, and the 944, which had the engine mounted in the front. Oh, the horror! Then the company dared produce the 928 with a front mounted V-8 engine, which was a bridge too far for many of the faithful.

All that weeping and wailing aside, the Cayenne has become the best selling model in the Porsche lineup, followed closely by its slightly smaller sibling, the Macan. For years, the engineers at the company’s headquarters in Stuttgart have been developing a battery-electric version of the Cayenne. On November 19, Porsche announced the Cayenne Electric is finally here, with sales expected to begin in the middle or next year.

“The Cayenne Electric shows performance in a completely new dimension, with innovative technologies that we have developed in motorsport. It sets new standards in the SUV segment — in terms of driving characteristics as well as charging. Outstanding electric performance meets very real everyday usability. Excellent long distance comfort combines with uncompromising off-road capability,” said Oliver Blume, who is the chair of the Porsche executive board as well as the head of Volkswagen Group.

Porsche Cayenne Electric Tech Specs

There are a lot of technical details in the Porsche press announcement, beginning with the battery pack, which is rated at 113 kWh and is the heart of the company’s all new 800 volt architecture. According to Top Gear, it is heated and cooled from two sides — previously it was only one — and the cooling gradient is managed from the inside edge, where things are hottest, to the outside. The new car can accept up to 400 kW of DC charging power, which could make charging from 10 to 80% possible in about 16 minutes. Induction charging is available as an extra cost option.

The new Cayenne will be available in two versions — the Electric and the Turbo Electric. “Turbo” of course is a misnomer in the battery-electric age, but it carries a lot of marketing weight. Over the decades, the fastest Porsches have always featured turbochargers. Branding is important to selling cars.

Both versions are equipped with dual motors and Porsche’s proprietary electronic traction management system. Twin valve dampers with dual chamber air springs are standard, and Porsche’s Active Ride, which has a small pump for each damper that can compensate for pitch, yaw, and roll, is an option.

Let’s start with the Cayenne Electric. Porsche calls it an entry level vehicle, but at €94,250 ($108,640), it is far from a basic car. It features 300 kW (402 HP) from its dual motors at all times, while launch control (available from a button on the steering wheel) boosts that to 325 kW (426 hp) and 835 Nm (616 ft-lbs) of torque. 0-100 km/h takes 4.8 seconds, which is pretty good for a 5000+ pound vehicle. Top speed is listed as 230 km/h (143 mph) and range is 398 miles WLTP.

Now let’s talk about the all-singing, all-dancing Cayenne Turbo Electric. It also has dual motors, but they have a combined output of 630 kW (850 HP). There’s more! Launch control brings power up to 850 kW (1140 hp)  and 1106 ft-lbs of torque — enough to propel the car to 100 km/h in a blistering 2.5 seconds (0 to 200 km/h takes a mere 7.4 seconds).

By comparison, the latest Porsche 911 Turbo blasts to 100 km.h in the same 2.5 seconds. It is undoubted faster in the twisty bits, but the Cayenne can go off-road — something no one would ever attempt in a stock 911.

While tootling along, a Push To Pass feature adds an additional 130 kW (173 hp) to the standard 630 kW (850 HP) for up to 10 seconds. Range is said to be 387 miles WLTP and top speed is given as 162 mph. The out the door price for the Cayenne Turbo Electric is €141,324 ($163,000).

Both cars benefit from a regenerative braking system inspired by the Porsche Formula E race car that can recover up to 600 kW of energy. The company says that means the driver will need to use the mechanical brakes less than 3% of the time in normal driving.

Comfort & Tech Features Abound

Naturally, the interior of the car offers all the luxury those starting prices would suggest. According to Top Gear, inside passengers will find a curved driver’s display and a curved flow screen that melts into the lower portion of the center of the dash. It features multimedia and flash graphics that are “useable, sharp, crisp and intuitive.”

There is also an AI assistant, a large head-up display which projects instructions onto the road ahead, Porsche Electric Sound that recreates the throb of a V-8 engine, a panoramic glass roof with various photochromic patterns, a communication light that welcomes you into the car and projects charging status, a heated armrest and door panels, and various ‘mood modes’ which alter the seating position, climate control, and interior according to the driver’s wishes.

There are also heated and cooled rear seats, a large frunk, and 781 liters (27.5 cu ft) of carrying capacity for “stuff.”  An additional option is an off-road package that makes it possible to tow up to 3,500 kg (7700 lb). “It’s a pretty comprehensive set of gadgets and fun stuff,” Top Gear says.

On the exterior, Porsche has worked overtime to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency of the battery powered Cayenne. Slats at the bottom of the front bumper open and close for both cooling and aero purposes. The top of the rear hatch has a small electrically-powered extendable spoiler and there are extendable blades in the rear quarter panels that push outwards at speed, smoothing the air flow of the rear wheels and bumper. Some might think all those aero bits could be a little delicate in off-road mode, but if you are planning on spending 150 Large on a car and then take it into the toolies, maybe that’s not an issue.

We have invested a lot of effort into making all the price and technical info about the Cayenne Electric accessible to readers in the US, because it just so happens that North America is the most important market for Porsche. However, the current cockamamie trade disruptions imposed by the US government have plunged Porsche into a quandary.

To cope and to deal with a perceived softening of demand for luxury electric cars generally, Porsche will extend the lifespan of its internal combustion engines until the boat stops rocking. That means the Cayenne will still be available with either turbocharged V-6 or conventional  V-8 engines for the foreseeable future. But if there’s enough room in the family budget, well-heeled customers may not be able to resist the allure of owning the most powerful Porsche production car ever produced.