Caryenne Turbo S

Porsche purists may have hated the Cayenne from the moment of its inception, but the success of the truck has allowed the continued production of cars that enthusiasts yearn for. In fact, in one of the supreme ironies of the auto industry recently, the profitability of the VW Touareg-based SUV was a reason that Porsche was able to attempt a hostile takeover of Volkswagen last year.

Even though that bid failed and Porsche has become part of the VW Group, the new bosses certainly recognize the importance of the Cayenne to Porsche's bottom line. That's why we recently found ourselves in the Middle East, evaluating prototypes of the second-gen version of the Cayenne. The vehicle is the product of a revised platform that is shared with the next VW Touareg and Audi Q7. The new Cayenne is 1.8 inches longer overall and rides on a wheelbase stretched 1.6 inches, making for a ­roomier rear seat that now slides fore and aft by 6.3 inches. There are 24 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, up from 19; with the rear seats folded, the Cayenne will accept 63 cubic feet of stuff, about the same as before.

VEHICLE TYPES: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve 3.6-liter V-6, 300 hp, 273 lb-ft; supercharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 333 hp, 324 lb-ft + 52-hp, 221-lb-ft electric motor assist (combined power rating, 374 hp); DOHC 32-valve 4.8-liter V-8, 400 hp, 369 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.8-liter V-8, 500 hp, 516 lb-ft