The very first car proudly bearing the name Porsche was built 50 years ago ? a 356 roadster with chassis number 356.001. With its modified 1.1-litre VW engine developing 35 bhp at 4000 rpm, the car had a top speed of 135 km/h or 84 mph.
Prior to the construction of this first-ever Porsche, the Company had worked exclusively as a design service handling assignments from other manufacturers, the most famous example, of course, being the Volkswagen Beetle. Things have chaged alot since then though. As Porsche's first entry into the sports utility vehicle market, the Porsche Cayenne has seen very little changes over the last five years. The Cayenne is currently Porsche's bestselling vehicle and it makes up, close to a third of the company's vehicle sales in 2007. The new 2008 Porsche Cayenne model has arrived with a few more changes, of which its new styling is the more glaring, as it now has a greater resemblance to the Porsche sport car, and the brand new engine which puts out significant horsepower. There is also a high level of fuel efficiency.
The Cayenne comes in four offerings, the base Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo and the new Cayenne GTS. The company sees the new 2008 Porsche Cayenne as a second generation vehicle due the changes that have been made to it. The vehicle displays brand new styling with the front lights now flatter and more to the corners, and grouped below a single clear lens. The snout of the vehicle is now tighter and smoothed.
The front of the vehicle resembles a Porsche Boxster. The Cayenne's also has changes to its wheel wells and there are new shaped fender flares. There are changes to the mirrors which have been pulled in a bit and the external spoilers are now cut to a smaller size. These changes have caused the vehicles drag coefficient to be reduced drastically, moving from 0.39 to 0.
35, and this will greatly aid fuel economy and efficiency, and noise reduction. The Porsche Cayenne S and turbo are fitted with 18 inch wheels and the new Cayenne GTS with 21 inch wheels, whereas the base Cayenne has 17 inch wheels standard. The engines of the Porsche Cayenne's different variations feature a high pressure fuel management system that uses direct injection. This system is said to offer a reduction in the consumption of fuel. The base Cayenne has a 3.6 liter, narrow angle V6 engine with 290 horsepower.
The Cayenne S has a 4.8 liter V8 engine that gives 385 horsepower. The Cayenne Turbo boasts a twin turbo V8 engine giving 500 horsepower. The Cayenne GTS has V8 engine that produces 405 horsepower.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo powers through 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, the V6 Cayenne does it in 7.5 seconds reaching speeds of over 140 mph. The cayenne GTS will get to 60 mph in just under 6 seconds attaining speed of just under 160 mph. The latest Cayenne models can all be had with a six speed transmission both manual and automatic. Mileage rating is expected to improve to 15 percent.
The new model will come with a body control suspension as an option, and the Dynamic Chassis Control employs anti roll bars to counter body roll and makes handling better. As basic features the Porsche Cayenne comes with bi-xenon headlights and a partition net and rail system as part of the cargo compartment floor. There is however limited cargo space. The safety equipment is also standard and includes skid control, airbags, and roll over sensors.
Written on behalf of Total Fleet Services Vehicle Leasing UK
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