Porsche Cayenne - In Depth

Porsche Cayenne

The third Porsche and the first true sport utility vehicle

October 17, 2002 9:16 AM
Filed Under: Porsche

Press Release

CAYENNE® PUTS THE SPORT IN SPORT UTILITY Atlanta - The 911® is now. The 2003 Boxster® and Boxster S are new. And next: The Porsche® Cayenne, the third Porsche and the first true sport utility vehicle (SUV). "Just as the 911 and Boxster brought a new dimension to sports cars, the Cayenne brings a new dynamic to the sport utility segment," says Frederick J. Schwab, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. "The Cayenne will provide a sporty driving experience regardless of the surface." The Cayenne takes its name from the very hot red pepper that is recognized around the world as a symbol for zestful spiciness. Cayenne's heart is its Porsche V8 engine Production plans for the Cayenne were announced in the summer of 1998, when it also was announced that the Porsche SUV would have permanent four-wheel drive and true off-road capability while maintaining Porsche standards for ride and handling. While the Cayenne's engines were designed at Porsche's Research and Development Center in Weissach, Germany, and will be built in the Porsche factory at Zuffenhausen, the Porsche SUV will be assembled in a brand new factory located in historic Leipzig, Germany. Taking the Porsche experience to a new level, the Cayenne is designed to create a perfect balance of performance and power, delivering an optimum blend of supreme on-pavement and equally outstanding off-pavement driving qualities. A 4.5-liter V8 engine rated at 340 horsepower (DIN) and 310 pound-feet of torque will power the Cayenne S. It will accelerate from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.2 seconds on its way to a top test-track speed of 150 mph (242 km/h). The Cayenne Turbo will be powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the 4.5-liter V8. The boosted engine will provide an incredible 450 horsepower(DIN) and 460 pound-feet of torque. The Cayenne Turbo will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 5.6 seconds and can achieve a top test-track speed of 165 mph (266 km/h). The Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo will feature a new six-speed Tiptronic® S automatic transmission as standard equipment. Both Cayenne models will have permanent four-wheel drive, an inter-axle differential lock and additional low-range gears, the Porsche Stability Management(PSM) system, and the capability to tow 7,716 pounds (3,500 kilograms). Both will ride on wheels that range from 18 inches to 20 inches in diameter. "Porsche has been at the forefront of all-wheel-drive design," says Schwab. "From the Lohner-Porsche in 1900 to the Porsche 959 in 1985, Porsche has been engineering four-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles for decades. The Cayenne is a natural for us, and it truly will put the sport in sport utility vehicles." The Cayenne concept has been verified in three years of comprehensive testing in remote locations across the globe. Test vehicles were on the Porsche development track at Weissach as early as the spring of 1998, and on-track tests were performed at Nardo and the Nürburgring. The vehicles and their various components and systems were tested in the snow and ice in Sweden, on the sand and rock of Dubai, and in mud and water in Australia. Not only did the Cayenne have to satisfy Porsche's performance and quality standards, it also had to meet the utility and reliability expectations Porsche engineers demand from an SUV. New technologies For the Cayenne, Porsche engineers developed the Porsche Traction Management(PTM) permanent four-wheel drive system, a pneumatic suspension system with a self-leveling feature and six adjustable ride height positions, and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), an electronically variable damping system that stabilizes body sway during sudden gas or brake pedal applications or when driving in rough terrain. These systems work together to ensure that the Cayenne offers equally outstanding on-pavement and off-pavement performance. Porsche Traction Management (PTM), which is standard on both Cayenne models, feeds 62 percent of the engine power to the rear wheels and 38 percent to the front wheels in the basic mode. A multiple-plate clutch operated by an electric motor and controlled electronically is able to vary the distribution of power according to specific driving conditions, whenever necessary feeding up to 100 percent of the engine torque either to the front or the rear wheels. PTM, the newgeneration of four-wheel drive The map-controlled longitudinal differential lock and the rear axle differential, available as an option, not only respond to any lack of traction on the front or rear wheels, but also incorporate sensors measuring vehicle speed, lateral acceleration, the steering angle, and gas pedal operation. PTM calculates the optimum locking action on both axles and spreads out drive forces as needed to the f ront and rear wheels. Therefore, PTM might be compared with a forward - looking, anticipative active electronic control system providing exactly the right balance for superior driving stability and supreme safety when changing lanes both at high speeds or when driving at a moderate pace on ice and snow. Some of the particular benefits PTM provides are: Porsche Stability Management (PSM), also standard on Cayenne, maintains a constant dialogue with PTM but only intervenes when the vehicle reaches its physical limit. Coordinating essential systems such as the anti-lock brake system(ABS), the automatic slip regulation (ASR), and the automatic brake differential(ABD), PSM is immediately available whenever the Cayenne enters critical over- or understeer conditions, "telling" PTM to open the differential locks in order to re-stabilize the car by applying the brakes specifically on individual wheels. Agile on road, and ready to go off the beaten track The Cayenne’s suspension provides the secure foundation for supreme driving dynamics, combining optimum safety, motoring comfort and off-pavement driving capabilities. The front axle is an extra-large double track control arm configuration mounted on its own subframe. The large distance between the individual track control arms keeps forces acting on the suspension to a minimum, thus ensuring precise wheel guidance for supreme agility and an extremely low level of any adverse forces. Incorporating extra-large rubber mounts, the elastic subframe bearings additionally serve to keep out any road noise with maximum efficiency. Made of high-strength steel, the subframe design has an arch-shaped crossbar and inclined ramps at the front that give the Cayenne ample ground clearance of up to 10.75 inches (273 mm). The variable-ratio steering gear and the differential are well protected on top of the subframe to help ensure robust off-pavement driving qualities. The rear axle is another new Porsche development. The rear axle configuration is an elaborate multi-arm concept easily able to handle both high traction forces and the Cayenne’s high service load capabilities. In the interest of extra comfort and noise reduction, the rear axle is also mounted on a subframe resting on extra - large, hydraulically dampened rubber bearings. Again, the subframe is made of high-strength steel for optimal weight and maximum structure stiffness. The lower track control arm and the tie-rod are both made of steel plate to ensure robust strength even on the roughest surfaces. The upper track control arm assembly, which is well protected within the vehicle, is made of extra-light forged aluminum components. Through its particular configuration, the axle kinematics reduce undesired squat and dive when accelerating and braking, keeping the Cayenne almost entirely level on the road at all times. The rear axle configuration and the rear toe-in control stabilize the vehicle’s driving behavior particularly in bends and under load change. A special feature of the axle concept is the extra-long spring travel for off-pavement purposes. On the steel spring suspension on the Cayenne S, the front springs compress 4.09 inches and expand 4.57 inches (104 and 116 mm, respectively), while the rear spring travel is 5.31 inches (135 mm) compressed and 3.86 inches (98 mm) expanded. Self-leveling Suspension with adjustable ride height With the pneumatic spring suspension, which is standard on the Cayenne Turbo and is available as an option on the Cayenne S, the front springs compress 4.02 inches and expand 4.65 inches (102 and 118 mm, respectively). The rear springs compress 4.88 inches and expand 4.92 inches (124 and 125 mm). Pneumatic suspension not only guarantees extra ground clearance on rough terrain, its self-leveling feature provides a consistent vehicle position regardless of the load. The system also ensures maximum driving pleasure and active safety by automatically lowering the Cayenne relative to increasing road speed. Incorporating six different ride height levels, the pneumatic suspension adjusts over a range of 4.57 inches (116 mm). In normal trim, ground clearance is 8.54 inches (217 mm) according to the DIN unladen standard. Active damper control Porsche offers pneumatic suspension in combination PASM, Porsche’s new variable damping system. Operated electronically, PASM adjusts damper forces infinitely as a function of surface conditions and the driver’s driving style. A typical example of PASM intervention is during powerful application of the gas and/or brake pedal or when driving on particularly rough terrain. PASM serves to steady any body sway and dive motions by monitoring body movement through five accelerometers. As soon as the motion of the Cayenne’s body exceeds a certain limit depending on specific driving conditions, PASM intervenes and stabilizes the vehicle by acting on the individual dampers. PASM also gives the Cayenne driver the opportunity to choose among three damper settings while driving – Comfort, Normal or Sports. Consistently operating in the background, PASM always maintains its active control function, comparing the operator’s driving style with the program currently in use. Whenever the driver has chosen a particularly comfortable damper setting but is driving in a more sporting or dynamic style, the system automatically switches over to the sports mode and makes the dampers firmer. A real champion on rough terrain The Cayenne’s outstanding road performance does not come at the expense of its off-pavement capabilities. Due to its intelligent four-wheel drive, the Cayenne is able to handle minor off-pavement conditions without requiring modification of the traction systems. When driven on rough terrain, the Cayenne uses the Porsche Traction System integrated as a standard feature in the power divider. This reduction gearbox comes with a 2.7:1 gear ratio for even the most extreme off-pavement driving maneuvers. By activating the low range mode by way of a toggle switch on the Cayenne’s center console, several control systems are automatically prepared for off-pavement conditions. PTM switches to the appropriate gear ratio for off-pavement driving and activates a special off-pavement control map for the differential locks. PSM switches on the traction-oriented off-pavement ABS and ABD system, and the pneumatic suspension in the Cayenne Turbo automatically changes to the off-pavement ride level. Porsche is the first car manufacturer to offer this combination of systems controlled by a central off-pavement switch, thus reducing the risk of control errors when driving on rough terrain. The Cayenne’s standard off-pavement driving characteristics can be enhanced to a higher level. In the event individual wheels lose contact in demanding terrain, a direct and rigid connection of the four-wheel drive system provides mobility. Operating the off-pavement switch a second time activates the 100 percent front-to-rear differential lock, and the Cayenne Turbo ’s standard pneumatic suspension provides additional assistance when climbing. In the special off-pavement mode, which provides 10.75 inches (273 mm) ride height, the inclination angle is up to 32 degrees at the front and 27 degrees at the rear, enabling the Cayenne to handle steep ramps. Even extreme crests when driving from one gradient to another are not obstacles since the 25-degree ramp angle prevents the body between the axles from touching the ground prematurely. Both models are equipped for water crossing up to 22 inches (556 mm) when set to the special off-pavement level thanks to the Cayenne’s special sealing concept, a high-rise intake funnel, its elevated transmission purge opening, and full encapsulation of the side sills. Safe traction even on the roughest terrain As an option, Porsche offers the Advanced Offroad Technology Package for the most extreme off-pavement conditions. Apart from special side protection and a steel plate underfloor panel around the radiator, this package includes a fully controllable (up to 100 percent) differential lock on the rear axle. To fully activate the lock, the driver operates the central off-pavement switch a third time. The fully controlled rear axle lock then ensures even better traction when setting off on slippery surfaces with varying frictional coefficients and in bends. The package also uses anti-roll bars on the front and rear axle, which are hydraulically activated and deactivated by a switch in the center console. This increases front and rear axle lock by 2.76 inches (70 mm), which improves ride comfort by minimizing body sway and enhancing off-pavement driving qualities and traction when negotiating rocks, tree trunks or bumps. To ensure the Cayenne’s sporting driving qualities on the road, the anti-roll bars can only be disconnected in the low range mode. As soon as the Cayenne, with its anti-roll bars disconnected, returns from rough terrain to the road, the anti-roll bars are automatically reconnected once the vehicle exceeds 31 mph (50 km/h) to provide the additional stability required for on-pavement driving. Outstanding Interior Concept Porsche has gone to great lengths to ensure the Cayenne interior reflects the unmistakable quality of Porsche design. The ignition lock is positioned to the left of the three-spoke steering wheel, and two large round instrument dials with a central multi-functional display dominate the instrument panel. Standard equipment on both models includes an alarm system, on-board computer, electric windows, electrically adjustable front seats, an expansive leather interior, automatic air-conditioning, and a customized Bose® 350-watt surround sound system with 14 speakers are also standard. The luggage space – fitted with a luggage net and boot cover – has a capacity of 540 liters. The rear seat backrests can fold down with a 40/60 split, which increases the load capacity to a maximum of 1,770 liters. Also, it is not necessary to fully open to rear hatch when loading smaller objects. The Cayenne’s rear window opens upwards, which provides a second option for accessing the luggage compartment. Cayenne Turbo Leather and Aluminum Interior Other standard Cayenne Turbo features include Bi-Xenon headlights with cornering light, metallic paint, and a new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system. The new PCM system features a navigation module, an on-board computer, antenna diversity, and the Bose sound system. The leather interior has aluminum details in areas such as the door and control panel trim. Other standard equipment includes an electrically adjustable and heated steering wheel, electrically adjustable front seat with memory function and heated seats, a heated rear seat, and ParkAssist for precision parking. The Cayenne S base price in the United States is $55,900 ($78,250 Canadian), while the base U.S. price for the Cayenne Turbo is $88,900 ($125,100 Canadian). PORSCHE® CAYENNE® BENEFITS FROM 100 YEARS OF FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE DEVELOPMENT As it prepares to launch the Cayenne, Porsche can look back on more than a century of all-wheel-drive technology. Its first vehicle of this type was a Lohner Porsche, a racecar that Ferdinand Porsche delivered to his customer E.W. Hart in Luton, just north of London. There is no record of how many races Hart may have won with this vehicle, but in 1901 Ferdinand Porsche won the Exelberg Rally driving a similar vehicle. The Lohner Porsche featured Porsche’s latest development: the wheel hub motor, which was praised in the contemporary press as an “epoch-making innovation.� Porsche's wheel hub motor functioned without gears and driveshafts because the wheel, which was connected directly to the rotor of the direct-current motor, rotated around the stator housing, which was attached to the wheel suspension. Therefore, the drive mechanism worked without friction losses to achieve an extraordinary efficiency level of 85 percent. Porsche’s Lohner technology goes to the moon NASA used Porsche’s invention on its lunar rover that explored the surface of the moon. Today, several auto manufacturers are using Porsche’s technology in their development of future emission-free vehicles. Commercial vehicles also benefited from Porsche’s all-wheel-drive technology. In 1912 Ferdinand Porsche developed an eight-ton tractor with a 100-horsepower, six-cylinder motor and a locking differential, which his client described as “a consummate machine!� The Landwehr Train didn’t need tracks It was also in 1912 that Ferdinand Porsche, who had been technical director of the Austrian Daimler Motor Company in Vienna since July 1906, began the development of the “Landwehr Train� based on an idea by and named after Ottokar Landwehr of Pragenau. This train could run on the road as well as on a track and was equipped with a “mixed petrol-electric� hybrid drive. The train had a generator car and a variable number of trailers, up to five on the road and up to 10 on the track, each carrying a five-ton payload. For rail journeys, flanged steel disks were screwed onto the solid-rubber-tired road wheels. A 100-horsepower gasoline engine in the generator car was coupled directly to a 70-kilowatt dynamo. This supplied electrical energy via cables from the first to the last car to electric motors that drove every second axle of the train – similar to the present-day ICE 3. This multi-axle-drive “killed two birds with one stone�: On one hand it could be operated with low axle weight of less than five tons, on the other it had a hill-climbing ability which had never been achieved before on the road, let alone on rail. These qualities were of particular importance because the Landwehr Train was meant to transport the heaviest loads on dirt roads and even on provisionally laid field railways. All-wheel-drive for the people The design of an NSU small car, which you might call the forerunner of the Volkswagen, was planned as an all-wheel-drive model and originates from the early days of the Porsche Construction Office in Stuttgart’s Kronen Strasse. In one drawing made in 1934 by chief designer Karl Rabe, a driveshaft leads from the motor in the rear to the front axle differential. This is very similar to Porsche ’s all-wheel-drive concept used on the legendary 959 and forward through the 911® Carrera® 4 and the 911 Turbo. This part-time front-wheel-drive was fitted to the Volkswagen Beetle type 87 of 1940 and the “Schwimmwagen� (floating car) type 166 of 1941, which were actually superior to much more powerful cross-country vehicles. How to control 3000 horsepower Not all-wheel-drive, but four-wheel-drive distinguished the Mercedes world record-beating T80 that was constructed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1937. A 3000-horsepower motor drove the two rear axles of the sleek, triple-axle vehicle. The T80 had an incredible coefficient of drag of only 0.18, but the outbreak of war prevented additional development. Post-war developments In 1947, the Porsche team, which had been evacuated to Kärnten in Austria during the war, developed a mid-engine racecar with part-time four-wheel-drive and a supercharged 1.5-liter 12-cylinder engine. Among other things, the “Cisitalia� was meant to have broken Bernd Rosemeyer’s land speed world record over one kilometer, but it never reached the track due to financial difficulties encountered by the client, Piero Dusio. In 1955, Porsche engineers used the chassis and engine from the Porsche 356 to develop the “Jagdwagen� type 597, which was considered one of the best off-road vehicles ever built. Porsche continues work on several all-wheel-drive projects for its clients.
The awesome, amazing 959 The first Porsche 911 with all-wheel-drive was the Cabriolet prototype exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1981. Two years later the company introduced its sensational Porsche 959, which had electronically controlled all-wheel-drive and active suspension system that could adjust suspension parameters and ride height. The 959 was conceived to compete in the FIA Group B racing category that encouraged automobile manufacturers to develop vehicles as technologically advanced as possible. Setting out to build a supercar was never the intent, but when the project got underway in 1983 it drew experts from every corner of the Porsche company and they created a car the likes of which had never been seen. On the road, the limited-production 959 provided unsurpassed performance that is still coveted by collectors and enthusiasts. Off the road, the 959 won the Pharaoh Rally in Egypt in 1985. A year later Porsche 959s finished first, second and sixth in the Paris-Dakar marathon rally, considered the most grueling motorsports event on the planet. The experiences gained through the 959 led to the most successful all-wheel-drive sports cars ever built by Porsche: the 911 Carrera 4, the first of which was introduced in the fall of 1988. New standards were set again in 1994 with the 911 Carrera’s 993 series with its synthesis of all-wheel-drive, automatic brake differential and dynamically operating differential locks. 911 Turbo sets the new standard The Porsche 911 Turbo represents the current superlative in all-wheel-drive technology. Depending on traction requirements, the Turbo’s front wheels apply between 5 and 40 percent of the driving power to the road. Stability, traction and active safety are enhanced by the application of Porsche Stability Management (PSM). If the car goes off course in extreme driving situations, it is re-established in fractions of a second by electronic interventions on individual wheels. The additional drive of the front axle, which is achieved through a visco-segment clutch, prevents extreme thrust through the front wheels in fast cornering and provides neutral handling. PSM also recognizes whether the vehicle is following the course intended by the driver. If the car goes off course in extreme driving situations it is re-established in fractions of a second by electronically controlled, targeted brake interventions on individual wheels. If this is insufficient, the PSM activates engine management to reduce power. This combination of intelligent all-wheel-drive, PSM and Porsche’s precisely tuned driving controls take the active safety of the 911 Turbo to an unsurpassed level. Unless, of course, it is surpassed by the Cayenne. CAYENNE®: THE SUV WITH A PORSCHE® BODY As we approach the official introduction of Porsche’s third model line – the Cayenne sport utility vehicle (SUV), it is important to note that the people who engineered and designed the newest Porsche had to adhere to important parameters:
The Cayenne must drive like a Porsche, and it should look like a Porsche. “To design a new Porsche is something special,� says Stephen Murkett, design manager for the new Porsche Cayenne. “To create a new category of vehicle is a wonderful challenge. Our goal was to apply typical Porsche form and character to a sport utility vehicle, combining sporting and practical attributes in one homogeneous package – as with every Porsche.� The following explains how Murkett and the Porsche designers defined and applied that vocabulary to the exterior styling of the Porsche Cayenne SUV: Form vocabulary: “The current generation of Porsche sports cars offers us an exciting range of form vocabulary. The use of convex and concave curves and surfaces suggests dynamics and agility.� The Porsche character: “The planshape of the roof and side glass tapers strongly to the tail to end in a narrow rear glass with 911® character. The shutline between the D-post and the rear spoiler is designed to accentuate the fastback character of the rear glass.� Sculpture: “The deeply sculptured air intakes bear a resemblance of those of the 911, although the grilles themselves resemble the Turbo. The lower front valance forms a sculpted and ribbed surface that hints at the multifunctional character of the vehicle. The outer border of this surface flow into the deeply sculpted brake cooling channels." Wide shoulders: “ Viewed from behind,� says Murkett, “the shoulders are strong and powerful, accented through large and widely spaced tail lamps. The car has the ‘head and shoulder’ appearance of our sports cars.� Tapered shutlines: “The tapered shutlines of the front hood are a characteristic trademark and identify it as a typical Porsche.� Twin tailpipes: “Generously dimensioned tailpipes on all versions indicate that a powerful drivetrain lies within.� Purpose-built character: “The robust structure of the ‘loading protection’ below the rear decklid in brushed stainless steel displays the purpose-built character of the Cayenne.� Side glass graphics: “The side glass graphic includes the typical 911 coupe combination of taut lines and tight curves to communicate a feeling of elegance and speed.� Door mirrors: “The aerodynamically optimized door mirrors were styled with emotional care and detailing and similarly contribute to the Porsche identity of the vehicle. They also offer the driver a clear view over the wide and generous rear shoulders of the vehicle.�