The LA Auto Show had two big debuts for performance SUV fans, the GLE 63 S and the Audi RS Q8. They join the new X5/X6 M, all of them boasting roughly 600 horsepower. However, we can't forget about Porsche or its new Cayenne Turbo S setup.
In the past, a Cayenne Turbo S just had 50 more horsepower than a normal Turbo from the same 4.8-liter bi-turbo. However, the full name of the 2020 model is "Turbo S E-Hybrid" which should tell you that it's related to that super-fast Panamera.
That's right, the powertrain combines the 550 horsepower 4-liter, which is new, with a 130 horsepower electric motor and together they offer more than almost any other SUV. Unfortunately, the e-motor also brings along a heavy battery pack to run the EV mode. So the only way to know which is the fastest German rig is with a drag race.
But the specs are really good. 680 horsepower and 900 Nm of torque supposedly get you from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. And if you don't trust Porsche, here's an independent acceleration test from AutoTopNL. It's actually much faster. Using a GPS device, they timed it at 3.6 seconds to 100 km/h, which means it's going to give the Urus a run for its money... and probably lose.
In full-electric mode, the 14.1 kWh battery allows for a range of up to 40 km (25 miles). And it can run to 135 km/h before internal combustion kicks in, so even as an EV it's fast. 300 km/h is also possible before the speed limiter kicks in. That's not far from the 305 km/h top end of the Urus or Bentayga Speed.
It's not absurdly expensive either, just €176,300, about €30,000 more than a normal Turbo or €100,000 over the base model V6. Mind you, we're talking about the Cayenne Coupe body here, not the regular body.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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