In my opinion, porsche had a lot of the potential in the cayenne to 'create a complete new market' but stopped short. heres why i think...

they should have gotten rid of the off-road capability (e.g transfer case etc), first of all 99% of cayenne buyers dont use their cayenne for off -road anyway but by having this create more weight ( 500lbs) , less fuel efficiency ( wheels have to turn the case, and then to the wheels), plus more drag ( under-carriage). and increases the price of the vehicle as well.

I think that in designing the next gen cayenne, Porsche saw that people dont really need to go off-road, towing heavy things, or for that matter want to spent 60 k for a SUV, They just wanted a status-ey , look good and expensive vehicla. when There are some good SUVs for much cheaper. e.g. fx50 whose cheaper because it comes from the parts sharing bin of its non-off road capable FM platform. I would have like to see a Cayenne based off a 911/Panamera.

 

the off road gearbox is removed from the cayenne on 2011 models already. Porsche must have heard you eh?

 

Well honestly the fact that they cayenne does have off road potential was one of the major selling points for me personally. I know most people and even me won't use the off road that much, but occasionally i will and need it. I do tow occasionaly and camp and other outdoor activites which does require the 4wd. No i don't go much bogging or hill climbing so i wouldn't need the locking rear on the advanced off road but i do like the locking center. Its nice to have a excellent all round suv. For me if i just wanted something fast for the road i would have bought an FX45 but after seeing one get stuck with just two wheels off the ground and two others firmly planted i lost all interest. But then again this is just my personal opinion.

 

I agree that the offroad capabilities are what make the Cayenne unique among Sport SUV's.....and it also is one of the things the RR Sport marketed as well.

However the fact is that the first Cayenne was a very good profit building vehicle. I would imagine that mechanically it was better to keep it very close to the same as the VW twin.

 

i take the gts offroad when i go hunting with friends. even with the 22's it handles and performs very well. that transfer gearbox saves my azz in alot of situations. i think the towing capacity of the current cayennes are perfect.

 

i think cayenne is doing well despite your objections. many people still value the off road capabilities even if no one ever uses (especially in LA). but as you mentioned, FX50 is a great SUV with only draw back of not having off road capabilities. so i think it does mean something.

 

in my case towing and getting dirty is the VERY reason i bought the this Cayenne. Not too many vehicles of any type that combine the function/fun factor of the Cayennes. Mine has taken over the duties of an 08 Ford F250 PSD that i traded in. If it wasn't for the gts i would still be drivn that beast around daily = no fun.

 

Joey,
I looked at your location before responding. I am in NJ, your sister state. And, the reasons I chose to buy a Cayenne are as follows (not necessarily in prioritized order):
1. Performance on the road in and of itself, without regard to anything. In other words, as a general comparison to other vehicles on the road.
2. Ability to haul stuff (just like any SUV).
3. 4WD ability...PARTICULARLY IN SNOW
4. Towing capacity. I need to tow my motorcycles and also wanted the ability to tow my 996 Turbo to the track.
5. Clientele perspective. I want to project a sense of success to clients. I must say I did struggle with this one a bit, thinking it may be too over the top (Turbo model).
6. Ability to be versatile - by virtue of the adjustability of the vehicle height, shock damping and simply gas pedal position (Tehehe!)
7. Style. I weighed this against the FX50 and while the FX50 is nice looking, inevitably the nose design brought me back to Cayenne.
8. Build quality. After seeing things as insignificant as the structure under the dashboard knee guards (while installing my V1 remote) and how well they are constructed, I am thoroughly impressed with the level of engineering.
9. Last but not least, the ability to park a black Cayenne turbo next to my black 996 turbo in the garage.

So, for me, I vote for evolution instead of revolution. Thank you Porsche.

 

Remember Porsche sell in Sauda Arabia, Dubai , Russia etc...where peeps actually need/use the 4x4. Her in the states were kinda pg-13 when it comes to offroad, for the most part of daily life

 

Whats your source? Just curious.

Thanks

 

Joey always writes **** to get the forums stirred up. I don't even think hes serious half the time, but what ever he writes always gets attention.

 

it is doing great--best suv in my opinion

 

Off-road and towing capability has been the basis of my last 3 SUV purchases.

Cayenne, RR, FJ Cruiser

 

at this moment it may seem like the source is my azz, but i remember seeing it somewhere and will post it here as soon as I find it out, but other guys should also know that we've seen an article saying that the off road gearbox is removed on 2011 cayennes

 

Lots of good points but here is one not mentioned yet (at least in this thread) - Ability to turn off the FT 4WD. I can only imaging how nice it would be to lay a path of rubber in a C.