KAHN PORSCHE Cayenne Diesel Review

We are looking at the red rev counter and all we want to to is that needle play inside it. We start up the engine and introduce our shoes to the aluminum pedal on the right. Wow! the sound is great.

Wait, wasn’t this what we’ve been questing for? The VW Group 3.0-liter TDI engine that was so dull in the standard Cayenne is now inviting us to plan a roadtrip. A set of valves to control the sound would’ve been even better, but it’s nice even without it so let’s hit the road.

As we buckle up and let the eight-speed automatic do its job, we get accustomed to the smooth feel of the leather and the firm feel of the pedals and notice that the exhaust doesn’t become... exhausting while cruising along at low rpms. Sweet.

Ouch! what was that? did we really go through a pothole that big? The whole car was shaken and stirred, but not because we entered a neighborhood located on the Moon. It’s all the fault of the 22-inch rims with really low profile tires.

They might have impressed us in the parking lot, but they sure make the notion of driving an SUV instead of a sedan, for example, pointless. When we tested the stock Cayenne Diesel, we were amazed by its combination of road refinement and off-roading abilities, but if you go for 22-inch wheels, you'll only be able to enjoy this car on good roads. Yes, the vehicle does tackle the bends with more ease now, but this was never a problem in the stock Cayenne anyway.

Kahn also builds smaller rims and even though this model starts from 21 inches, there are others that can also be ordered in a 19- or 20-inch size and we’d advise you to do so and also go for beefier tire sidewalls. The concavity of the rear rims will be just as sweet and you’ll actually going to be able to enjoy the car.

And once you're up to speed, if you start asking yourself technical questions, you might end up without answer. You see, when it comes to the aerodynamic part of a body kit, there are two types of tuners: those who take care of this and those who don't. Well, Kahn belongs to the latter category, so we really don't know if their body parts create any positive or negative lift, so if you're into "show", but without the extreme "go" you'll be fine, with all eyes on you.

There's also an electronic lowering module for the air suspension and this is actually a pretty nice toy, as it allows you to keep the car in its lowest position - in stock for the suspension automatically rises once you get up to speed.