RE: X5 'Sport'
Discussion
Leithen, why don't you just run the one car, I think an Audi RS4 would do sir very nicely 911 beating performance, plus estate practicality, plus 4WD. A friend of mine actually sold it to his Mrs on the "I don't want a porsche anymore, your pregnant and I think we should have a nice sensible family car" line he got loads of brownie points and one hell of a lot of car for £50K.
Or even an older RS2 ???? now sub £20k I think.
Or even an older RS2 ???? now sub £20k I think.
Leithen, the Nissan is pretty good, even on Mways - though hills and high winds will ensure you're never caught speeding!
The chassis design is pretty agricultural, but on road manners are excellent, and it certainly rocks & rolls far less than all but the actively suspended Land Rovers.
If I have any criticisms they are firstly that if you're much over 6ft, you may (but not neccessarily) find the driving position cramped. Secondly, the engine is not a bang up to date, direct injection unit, and is only 2.5 litres (albeit turbo & intercooled) and I'd hope for both more power and fuel economy from my next truck. However, it does feel far livlier than big 6 cyl diesels like the Patrol & Landcruiser.
For the money, most of the double cabs out there are seriously good value, and I notice there's a growing number in sprint paddocks, being used to tow the 'silly' car to the event.
The chassis design is pretty agricultural, but on road manners are excellent, and it certainly rocks & rolls far less than all but the actively suspended Land Rovers.
If I have any criticisms they are firstly that if you're much over 6ft, you may (but not neccessarily) find the driving position cramped. Secondly, the engine is not a bang up to date, direct injection unit, and is only 2.5 litres (albeit turbo & intercooled) and I'd hope for both more power and fuel economy from my next truck. However, it does feel far livlier than big 6 cyl diesels like the Patrol & Landcruiser.
For the money, most of the double cabs out there are seriously good value, and I notice there's a growing number in sprint paddocks, being used to tow the 'silly' car to the event.
Mel, the one car theory would be the sensible way to go.... especially as my '87 Carrera Cabriolet is perhaps not the most practical solution for Scottish motoring..... however sensible sometimes has to go out the window!! It's in remarkably good nick, is a model I've always wanted (old shape, no tail, cab), was picked up for pennies two years ago (LHD, trade deal) and has been lovingly pampered with even a visit to the Customer Centre at the Factory for a "catch up" service and thorough check over (with exchange rates at the moment factory labour rates are half those here).
So I've kind of decided that avoiding disasters I want to keep it forever.....
That leaves my 3 year old 75k Golf V5, which has been a wonderful workhorse - quickish, incredibly refined, comfortable, reliable - but is now moving out of warranty...
Options are to keep it, cross fingers about reliability and save spondooleys by driving the poor thing into the ground. Meantime wait for the right LHD deal on an 993 Targa (next mission) to appear.
Or to bite the bullet and accept that for the uses covered in above posts I really need something that is more capable on the rough stuff, snow & ice and lugging stuff. Toss in the utterly politically incorrect habit of spending time on the odd grouse moor & in the odd wood shooting and you can see that the road based estate solution is not ideal - at the moment I make no attempt to venture forth with the V5 - but used to with Disco and Grand Cherokee....
The dual cab is very tempting - alternatively I've got an X3 on order in the hope that it "fits" better than other beemers, and of course in an ideal world I'd hit the jackpot business wise and be able to afford either a Range Rover or Cayenne.....
Digga - have you thought of an LPG conversion at all??
So I've kind of decided that avoiding disasters I want to keep it forever.....
That leaves my 3 year old 75k Golf V5, which has been a wonderful workhorse - quickish, incredibly refined, comfortable, reliable - but is now moving out of warranty...
Options are to keep it, cross fingers about reliability and save spondooleys by driving the poor thing into the ground. Meantime wait for the right LHD deal on an 993 Targa (next mission) to appear.
Or to bite the bullet and accept that for the uses covered in above posts I really need something that is more capable on the rough stuff, snow & ice and lugging stuff. Toss in the utterly politically incorrect habit of spending time on the odd grouse moor & in the odd wood shooting and you can see that the road based estate solution is not ideal - at the moment I make no attempt to venture forth with the V5 - but used to with Disco and Grand Cherokee....
The dual cab is very tempting - alternatively I've got an X3 on order in the hope that it "fits" better than other beemers, and of course in an ideal world I'd hit the jackpot business wise and be able to afford either a Range Rover or Cayenne.....
Digga - have you thought of an LPG conversion at all??
quote:
Sell out - don't agree - once it arrives I think you'll find it does everything other SUV's have done much better
Yes, I am sure this new Porsche Cayenne, pumping out 450 horses, will sit on an off road capable suspension. If people think the 4.6is ride is harsh, can't wait to see how much padding Porsche will include to disguise the shitty ride of the most likely race tuned suspension. I guarantee it won't be able to keep up with Land Rovers when it comes to off road, so there is flaw in your comment already.
This vehicle is for sure a 'trendy' thing and I am certain the first site of it will be on rap videos, complete with outrageously oversized chrome wheels, and "ass packed" women shaking their oversized butts in the camera.
Who knows? I hear Cadillac is testing out an Escalade with 20" wheels and a turbocharger. Either way, this is a yuppie car in which will be bought, for like I said, status, not usability, performance, etc.
Dave D.
With respect we have never classified Land Rovers as SUV's on this side of the pond - Utility Vehicles maybe but Sports.... possibly the Freelander, not the Disco or Range Rover and Certainly not the Defender!!
They have all been initially designed for Off Road and then made to work on tarmac, rather than the other way round a la SUV.
I've done the Disco route and have had three in the business - great vehicles, but not the compromise I want - I want something more road based.
The X5 has got remarkably good reviews for it's Off Road abilities - it's never going to win awards for Axle Articulation, but BMW never intended it to.
As for the Cayennes ability, we'll have to wait for the road tests, however here is what we are talking about......
--------------------------------
Porsche Traction Management – the new generation of four-wheel drive
One of these highlights is Porsche Traction Management (PTM) permanent four-wheel drive featured as standard, feeding 62 per cent of the engine power to the rear and 38 per cent to the front wheels in the basic mode. A multiple-plate clutch operated by an electric motor and controlled electronically is then able to vary the distribution of power according to specific driving conditions, whenever necessary feeding up to 100 per cent of the engine torque either to the front or to the rear.
Porsche Traction Management may rightly be regarded as an all-new generation of four-wheel drive with a decisive impact on the Cayenne's driving dynamics in every respect. 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, say, the speed of the vehicle, its lateral acceleration, the steering angle and operation of the gas pedal, PTM thus calculating the optimum locking action on both axles and spreading out drive forces as required to the front and rear wheels. You might therefore compare PTM with a forward-looking, anticipative active electronic control system providing exactly the right balance for superior driving stability and, say, supreme safety in changing lanes both at high speeds and when driving at a moderate pace on ice and snow.
Some of the particular benefits provided by this innovation are:
•excellent driving stability and traction in all situations, regardless of surface friction,
•better steering and control by opening the longitudinal differential lock in order to avoid any understeer,
•enhanced vehicle control when driving to the limit, again thanks to the longitudinal differential lock,
•improved directional stability and tracking control by appropriate activation of the longitudinal differential lock, and
•improved traction by increasing the degree of locking action before the wheels start to spin.
Porsche Stability Management (PSM) also featured as standard maintains a constant dialogue with PTM but only intervenes when the vehicle reaches its physical limit. Master-minding essential systems such as ABS, ASR and the ABD automatic brake differential, PSM is immediately available whenever the Cayenne enters critical over- or understeer conditions, “telling” PTM to open the differential locks in order to re-stabilise the car by applying the brakes specifically on individual wheels.
Sporting and agile on the road, robust when driving off the beaten track
The suspension provides the secure foundation for supreme driving dynamics combining optimum safety, motoring comfort and offroad driving capabilities. Newly developed for the Porsche Cayenne, 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 serve furthermore to keep out any road noise with maximum efficiency.
Made of high-strength steel, the subframe, through its structural design, enhances the high standard of safety to an even higher level and helps to ensure extra comfort and safety. Through the design of the subframe, the arch-shaped crossbar and the inclined ramps at the front, the Cayenne benefits from ample ground clearance of up to 273 millimetres or 10.75” in the interest of outstanding offroad driving qualities. The steering transmission with its variable transmission ratio and the differential are both well protected on top of the subframe, again helping to guarantee robust driving qualities off the beaten track.
The rear axle is another new development by Porsche. To offer the highest standard of dynamic driving qualities, the axle configuration at the rear is an elaborate multi-arm concept easily able to handle both high tractional forces and the high service load the Cayenne is able to carry. 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. And the subframe itself is once again made of high-strength steel in order to optimise weight and maximise the stiffness of the entire structure.To ensure robust strength even on the roughest surfaces, the lower track control arm and the tie-rod are both made of steel plate. The upper track control arm assembly well protected within the vehicle, in turn, is made of extra-light forged aluminium components.
Through its particular configuration, the axle kinematics reduces undesired squat and dive when accelerating and applying the brakes, keeping the Cayenne almost entirely flat on the road at all times. The rear axle configuration and the rear toe-in control stabilise the vehicle's driving behaviour particularly in bends and under load change. A special feature of this axle concept is the extra-long spring travel for offroad purposes, the pneumatic spring suspension featured as standard on the Cayenne Turbo coming with inward and outward spring travel, respectively, of 102 and 118 millimetres on the front axle (4.02 and 4.65") and 124/125 millimetres (4.88 and 4.92") at the rear. Inward and outward spring travel on the steel spring suspension of the Cayenne S is 104 and, respectively, 116 millimetres (4.09 and 4.57") at the front and 135/98 millimetres (5.31 and 3.86") at the rear. As an option, the Cayenne S is also available with pneumatic, air-controlled spring suspension.
Pneumatic suspension with self-levelling and adjustable ride height
Pneumatic suspension not only guarantees extra ground clearance on rough terrain and, thanks to self-levelling, a consistent position of the vehicle regardless of the load it is carrying, but also ensures maximum driving pleasure and active safety by automatically lowering the Cayenne as a function of increasing road speed.
Incorporating six different ride height levels, the pneumatic suspension adjusts over a wide range of 116 mm or 4.57":
•In normal trim, ground clearance is 217 millimetres (8.54") according to the DIN unladen standard.
•In load trim, the Cayenne moves down 60 millimetres or 2.26" from its standard position to a loading level of 157 millimetres or 6.18". This level is only available when the vehicle is not moving and allows extra comfort for loading and unloading. Then, when setting off, the system automatically returns to its normal level.
•In low trim, the Cayenne moves down 27 millimetres or 1.06" beneath its standard trim and is comparable to a vehicle with a fully-fledged sports suspension. In practice this means that the suspension is firmer and air resistance lower, making the Cayenne even more stable and dynamic at high speeds. This reduction of the suspension level from a higher position to the low high-speed setting starts at a road speed of 125 km/h or 78 mph.
•At speeds exceeding 210 km/h or 130 mph, the Cayenne automatically moves down to its extra-low ride level 11 mm or 0.43" beneath than the “regular” low setting.
•When driving offroad the Cayenne can be set to the higher offroad level up by 26 millimetres or 1.02" over the standard ride height in order to cope with particularly difficult terrain. This higher level is however only available at speeds up to 80 km/h or 50 mph.
•The special offroad level is for the most extreme offroad driving conditions, raising the Cayenne another 30 millimetres or 1.18" to a ground clearance of 273 millimetres or 10.75". This extra-high level is only available at speeds of up to 30 km/h or 19 mph.
Active damper control
Porsche offers pneumatic suspension in combination with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), a brand-new variable damping system. Operated electronically, PASM adjusts damper forces infinitely as a function of surface conditions and the driver's style of motoring. A typical example of PASM intervention is when driving very dynamically with powerful application of the gas and/or brake pedal or when driving on particularly rough terrain, where PASM serves to steady any sway and dive motion of the body. This function is ensured by five accelerometers monitoring body movement. As soon as the motion of the Cayenne’s body exceeds a certain limit depending on specific driving conditions, PASM will intervene, stabilising the vehicle by acting on the individual dampers.
PASM also gives the Cayenne driver the opportunity to choose his very own, personal damper setting while driving - with a choice of Comfort, Normal and Sports positions. Consistently operating in the background, PASM always maintains its active control function, comparing the driver's style of motoring with the program currently in use. Whenever the driver has chosen a particularly comfortable damper setting but is driving in a more sporting and 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 performance on the road does not come at the expense of its offroad capabilities. On the contrary - the Cayenne is a real offroad champion even in its basic trim. Benefitting from intelligent four-wheel drive, the Cayenne is able to handle minor offroad conditions without requiring any modification of the traction systems. When driven on rough terrain, in turn, the Cayenne uses the Porsche Traction System integrated as a standard feature in the power divider: This reduction gearbox comes with a gear ratio of 2.7:1 for even the most extreme offroad driving manoeuvres. Activation of the low range mode by a toggle switch on the centre console automatically prepares several control systems for offroad requirements: PTM switches over to the appropriate gear ratio for offroad driving and activates a special offroad control map for the differential locks, PSM switches on the traction-oriented offroad ABS and ABD system, and the pneumatic suspension in the Cayenne Turbo automatically changes to the offroad ride level. Porsche is indeed the first car maker to offer this combination of systems masterminded by a central offroad switch and thus reducing the risk of control errors when driving on rough terrain.
Even these outstanding offroad driving characteristics offered by the Cayenne as standard can be enhanced to an even higher level: Should the terrain become so demanding that individual wheels lose road contact, direct, rigid connection of the four-wheel-drive system will still keep you on the move. The 100 per cent front-to-rear differential lock, for example, is activated by operating the offroad switch a second time, and the Cayenne Turbo is assisted even more effectively when climbing by its pneumatic suspension featured as standard. In the special offroad mode with 273 millimetres or 10.75" ride height, the inclination angle is up to 32° at the front and 27° at the rear, enabling the Cayenne to handle even steep ramps. Even extreme crests when driving from one gradient to another are no real obstacle, the ramp angle of 25° preventing the body from touching the ground prematurely between the axles. Both models are perfectly equipped for crossing rivers, etc up to half a metre deep (and even up to 556 millimetres or 22" when set to the special terrain level). This is ensured by a special sealing concept as well as a high-rising intake funnel, the elevated transmission purge opening and full encapsulation of the side-sills.
Safe traction even on the roughest terrain
As an option Porsche offers yet another highlight for the most extreme offroad requirements: the Advanced Offroad Technology Package. Apart from special side protection and a steel plate underfloor panel around the radiator, this package includes a fully controllable (up to 100 per cent) differential lock on the rear axle. To activate the lock 100 per cent, all the driver has to do is operate the central offroad switch a third time. The fully controlled rear axle lock, in turn, ensures even better traction when setting off on slippery surfaces with varying frictional coefficients and in bends.
A further enormous advantage of this special Offroad Technology Package is the use of anti-roll bars on the front and rear axle hydraulically activated and deactivated by a switch in the centre console. This increases axle lock both front and rear by 70 millimetres or 2.76", in the process not only improving ride comfort thanks to the minimisation of body sway, but also enhancing offroad driving qualities and traction when driving over rocks, tree-trunks or big bumps on the surface.
To ensure the sporting driving qualities of the Cayenne on the road, in turn, the anti-roll bars can be disconnected only in the low range mode. As soon as the Cayenne, with its anti-roll bars disconnected, returns from rough terrain to the road, an additional safety feature guarantees the driving stability required, the anti-roll bars being automatically connected again once the vehicle exceeds a speed of 50 km/h or 31 mph.
---------------------------------
Who knows..... it might cut the mustard.....
They have all been initially designed for Off Road and then made to work on tarmac, rather than the other way round a la SUV.
I've done the Disco route and have had three in the business - great vehicles, but not the compromise I want - I want something more road based.
The X5 has got remarkably good reviews for it's Off Road abilities - it's never going to win awards for Axle Articulation, but BMW never intended it to.
As for the Cayennes ability, we'll have to wait for the road tests, however here is what we are talking about......
--------------------------------
Porsche Traction Management – the new generation of four-wheel drive
One of these highlights is Porsche Traction Management (PTM) permanent four-wheel drive featured as standard, feeding 62 per cent of the engine power to the rear and 38 per cent to the front wheels in the basic mode. A multiple-plate clutch operated by an electric motor and controlled electronically is then able to vary the distribution of power according to specific driving conditions, whenever necessary feeding up to 100 per cent of the engine torque either to the front or to the rear.
Porsche Traction Management may rightly be regarded as an all-new generation of four-wheel drive with a decisive impact on the Cayenne's driving dynamics in every respect. 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, say, the speed of the vehicle, its lateral acceleration, the steering angle and operation of the gas pedal, PTM thus calculating the optimum locking action on both axles and spreading out drive forces as required to the front and rear wheels. You might therefore compare PTM with a forward-looking, anticipative active electronic control system providing exactly the right balance for superior driving stability and, say, supreme safety in changing lanes both at high speeds and when driving at a moderate pace on ice and snow.
Some of the particular benefits provided by this innovation are:
•excellent driving stability and traction in all situations, regardless of surface friction,
•better steering and control by opening the longitudinal differential lock in order to avoid any understeer,
•enhanced vehicle control when driving to the limit, again thanks to the longitudinal differential lock,
•improved directional stability and tracking control by appropriate activation of the longitudinal differential lock, and
•improved traction by increasing the degree of locking action before the wheels start to spin.
Porsche Stability Management (PSM) also featured as standard maintains a constant dialogue with PTM but only intervenes when the vehicle reaches its physical limit. Master-minding essential systems such as ABS, ASR and the ABD automatic brake differential, PSM is immediately available whenever the Cayenne enters critical over- or understeer conditions, “telling” PTM to open the differential locks in order to re-stabilise the car by applying the brakes specifically on individual wheels.
Sporting and agile on the road, robust when driving off the beaten track
The suspension provides the secure foundation for supreme driving dynamics combining optimum safety, motoring comfort and offroad driving capabilities. Newly developed for the Porsche Cayenne, 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 serve furthermore to keep out any road noise with maximum efficiency.
Made of high-strength steel, the subframe, through its structural design, enhances the high standard of safety to an even higher level and helps to ensure extra comfort and safety. Through the design of the subframe, the arch-shaped crossbar and the inclined ramps at the front, the Cayenne benefits from ample ground clearance of up to 273 millimetres or 10.75” in the interest of outstanding offroad driving qualities. The steering transmission with its variable transmission ratio and the differential are both well protected on top of the subframe, again helping to guarantee robust driving qualities off the beaten track.
The rear axle is another new development by Porsche. To offer the highest standard of dynamic driving qualities, the axle configuration at the rear is an elaborate multi-arm concept easily able to handle both high tractional forces and the high service load the Cayenne is able to carry. 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. And the subframe itself is once again made of high-strength steel in order to optimise weight and maximise the stiffness of the entire structure.To ensure robust strength even on the roughest surfaces, the lower track control arm and the tie-rod are both made of steel plate. The upper track control arm assembly well protected within the vehicle, in turn, is made of extra-light forged aluminium components.
Through its particular configuration, the axle kinematics reduces undesired squat and dive when accelerating and applying the brakes, keeping the Cayenne almost entirely flat on the road at all times. The rear axle configuration and the rear toe-in control stabilise the vehicle's driving behaviour particularly in bends and under load change. A special feature of this axle concept is the extra-long spring travel for offroad purposes, the pneumatic spring suspension featured as standard on the Cayenne Turbo coming with inward and outward spring travel, respectively, of 102 and 118 millimetres on the front axle (4.02 and 4.65") and 124/125 millimetres (4.88 and 4.92") at the rear. Inward and outward spring travel on the steel spring suspension of the Cayenne S is 104 and, respectively, 116 millimetres (4.09 and 4.57") at the front and 135/98 millimetres (5.31 and 3.86") at the rear. As an option, the Cayenne S is also available with pneumatic, air-controlled spring suspension.
Pneumatic suspension with self-levelling and adjustable ride height
Pneumatic suspension not only guarantees extra ground clearance on rough terrain and, thanks to self-levelling, a consistent position of the vehicle regardless of the load it is carrying, but also ensures maximum driving pleasure and active safety by automatically lowering the Cayenne as a function of increasing road speed.
Incorporating six different ride height levels, the pneumatic suspension adjusts over a wide range of 116 mm or 4.57":
•In normal trim, ground clearance is 217 millimetres (8.54") according to the DIN unladen standard.
•In load trim, the Cayenne moves down 60 millimetres or 2.26" from its standard position to a loading level of 157 millimetres or 6.18". This level is only available when the vehicle is not moving and allows extra comfort for loading and unloading. Then, when setting off, the system automatically returns to its normal level.
•In low trim, the Cayenne moves down 27 millimetres or 1.06" beneath its standard trim and is comparable to a vehicle with a fully-fledged sports suspension. In practice this means that the suspension is firmer and air resistance lower, making the Cayenne even more stable and dynamic at high speeds. This reduction of the suspension level from a higher position to the low high-speed setting starts at a road speed of 125 km/h or 78 mph.
•At speeds exceeding 210 km/h or 130 mph, the Cayenne automatically moves down to its extra-low ride level 11 mm or 0.43" beneath than the “regular” low setting.
•When driving offroad the Cayenne can be set to the higher offroad level up by 26 millimetres or 1.02" over the standard ride height in order to cope with particularly difficult terrain. This higher level is however only available at speeds up to 80 km/h or 50 mph.
•The special offroad level is for the most extreme offroad driving conditions, raising the Cayenne another 30 millimetres or 1.18" to a ground clearance of 273 millimetres or 10.75". This extra-high level is only available at speeds of up to 30 km/h or 19 mph.
Active damper control
Porsche offers pneumatic suspension in combination with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), a brand-new variable damping system. Operated electronically, PASM adjusts damper forces infinitely as a function of surface conditions and the driver's style of motoring. A typical example of PASM intervention is when driving very dynamically with powerful application of the gas and/or brake pedal or when driving on particularly rough terrain, where PASM serves to steady any sway and dive motion of the body. This function is ensured by five accelerometers monitoring body movement. As soon as the motion of the Cayenne’s body exceeds a certain limit depending on specific driving conditions, PASM will intervene, stabilising the vehicle by acting on the individual dampers.
PASM also gives the Cayenne driver the opportunity to choose his very own, personal damper setting while driving - with a choice of Comfort, Normal and Sports positions. Consistently operating in the background, PASM always maintains its active control function, comparing the driver's style of motoring with the program currently in use. Whenever the driver has chosen a particularly comfortable damper setting but is driving in a more sporting and 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 performance on the road does not come at the expense of its offroad capabilities. On the contrary - the Cayenne is a real offroad champion even in its basic trim. Benefitting from intelligent four-wheel drive, the Cayenne is able to handle minor offroad conditions without requiring any modification of the traction systems. When driven on rough terrain, in turn, the Cayenne uses the Porsche Traction System integrated as a standard feature in the power divider: This reduction gearbox comes with a gear ratio of 2.7:1 for even the most extreme offroad driving manoeuvres. Activation of the low range mode by a toggle switch on the centre console automatically prepares several control systems for offroad requirements: PTM switches over to the appropriate gear ratio for offroad driving and activates a special offroad control map for the differential locks, PSM switches on the traction-oriented offroad ABS and ABD system, and the pneumatic suspension in the Cayenne Turbo automatically changes to the offroad ride level. Porsche is indeed the first car maker to offer this combination of systems masterminded by a central offroad switch and thus reducing the risk of control errors when driving on rough terrain.
Even these outstanding offroad driving characteristics offered by the Cayenne as standard can be enhanced to an even higher level: Should the terrain become so demanding that individual wheels lose road contact, direct, rigid connection of the four-wheel-drive system will still keep you on the move. The 100 per cent front-to-rear differential lock, for example, is activated by operating the offroad switch a second time, and the Cayenne Turbo is assisted even more effectively when climbing by its pneumatic suspension featured as standard. In the special offroad mode with 273 millimetres or 10.75" ride height, the inclination angle is up to 32° at the front and 27° at the rear, enabling the Cayenne to handle even steep ramps. Even extreme crests when driving from one gradient to another are no real obstacle, the ramp angle of 25° preventing the body from touching the ground prematurely between the axles. Both models are perfectly equipped for crossing rivers, etc up to half a metre deep (and even up to 556 millimetres or 22" when set to the special terrain level). This is ensured by a special sealing concept as well as a high-rising intake funnel, the elevated transmission purge opening and full encapsulation of the side-sills.
Safe traction even on the roughest terrain
As an option Porsche offers yet another highlight for the most extreme offroad requirements: the Advanced Offroad Technology Package. Apart from special side protection and a steel plate underfloor panel around the radiator, this package includes a fully controllable (up to 100 per cent) differential lock on the rear axle. To activate the lock 100 per cent, all the driver has to do is operate the central offroad switch a third time. The fully controlled rear axle lock, in turn, ensures even better traction when setting off on slippery surfaces with varying frictional coefficients and in bends.
A further enormous advantage of this special Offroad Technology Package is the use of anti-roll bars on the front and rear axle hydraulically activated and deactivated by a switch in the centre console. This increases axle lock both front and rear by 70 millimetres or 2.76", in the process not only improving ride comfort thanks to the minimisation of body sway, but also enhancing offroad driving qualities and traction when driving over rocks, tree-trunks or big bumps on the surface.
To ensure the sporting driving qualities of the Cayenne on the road, in turn, the anti-roll bars can be disconnected only in the low range mode. As soon as the Cayenne, with its anti-roll bars disconnected, returns from rough terrain to the road, an additional safety feature guarantees the driving stability required, the anti-roll bars being automatically connected again once the vehicle exceeds a speed of 50 km/h or 31 mph.
---------------------------------
Who knows..... it might cut the mustard.....
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