2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Porsche introduced a new line-topping flagship 2014 Cayenne SUV at the 2013 North American International Auto Show at Detroit expected to go on sale this spring.

The 550-horsepower 2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S pumps out 50 more ponies than the 2013 Cayenne Turbo. The 2014 Cayenne Turbo S boasts a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 Porsche says will rocket this big SUV to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175 mph. With standard Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) and a Sport Chrono package, it will also offer lucky owners amazing dynamics for its size and weight.

The exterior is differentiated by a black-finned front grille flanked by large side air intakes, widened wheel arches over 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels with Porsche crests and gloss-black accents, a roof spoiler, gloss-black mirror trim and dual twin-tube tailpipes. Appearance options will include darkened LED tail lights with an adaptive brake light, a high-gloss-black exterior package, stainless steel front and rear panels, and aluminum sill strips. The carbon-black interior can be ordered with two-tone leather upholstery in black/carrera red or black/luxor beige with contrasting carrera red or luxor beige stitching.

Features will include the Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus) with automatic high-beam control (also available with black bi-xenon headlights) which at speeds of 40 mph and above helps ensure that the high beams are not automatically activated in residential areas or traffic. Its intersection light dispersion function uses navigation data to switch on both cornering lights to better illuminate an intersection, or one for a side road.

The 2014 Cayenne Turbo S V8 delivers a muscular 553 pound-feet of torque between 2250 and 4500 rpm for mind-boggling acceleration from almost any speed. Compared to the regular Turbo V8, it uses increased boost and revised engine electronics to produce the additional 50 horses and 37 pound-feet. Exhaust gases from both cylinder banks spin the twin water-cooled compressor turbines to force air into the combustion chambers through twin intercoolers.

All 2014 Cayenne Turbo S models will route this power through a fast-shifting Tiptronic S 8-speed automatic transmission. A standard auto Start/Stop function will save fuel by shutting down the engine when the car is at rest, then restarting it when the brake is released. Putting it smoothly to the pavement will be Porsche Traction Management (PTM) with active all-wheel drive and air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). If the PTM senses a loss of rear-wheel traction, a motor-controlled multi-plate clutch quickly distributes just enough torque to the front axle to maintain acceleration, then re-routes it all back to the rear axle once rear-wheel traction is regained.

By interpreting data such as steering angle and speed, accelerator pedal position, yaw rate and vehicle speed, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) improves steering response and precision during cornering by strategically applying the inside rear wheel brake and rapidly varying torque distribution to the rear wheels through an electronically controlled rear differential. This results in quicker initial turn-in, reduces understeer and provides greater high speed stability, when cornering at speed and when there is rear-wheel slippage.

All this is complemented by Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which virtually eliminates body roll in corners. Speed-sensitive Power Steering Plus increases steering effort with speed to maintain road feel and accuracy and reduces it at low speed for parking and other maneuvers. And the standard Sport Chrono Package permits measurement and storage of performance data such as lap times and transverse and longitudinal acceleration values, which Porsche Communication Management (PCM) can display as a graphic analysis.

Like other top-of-the-line Porsches, this 2014 Cayenne Turbo S SUV will be as high-tech as it is fast and powerful.