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2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Facelift Surprise Unveiling in Detroit

As far as performance-oriented luxury SUVs are concerned, it’s hard to top the monstrous Range Rover Sport SVR and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Even though it was not officially announced, the Stuttgart-based sportscar manufacturer surprised everybody at Detroit with the world debut of the 2015 facelift of its most potent Cayenne in history.
2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show 30 photos
Photo: Catalin Garmacea
2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift @ 2015 Detroit Auto Show
Before we run you through the belly of the beast, it needs to be pointed out that once we got up close and personal to it, our attention was grabbed by a huge set of brake calipers up front, squeezing 420 mm carbon ceramic discs. The element that left us speechless was the ten-piston calipers. 10-friggin’-piston yellow calipers for insane stopping power!

Look at the live photo gallery below and compare the front calipers to the four-piston rear units that squeeze 420 mm brake discs. The size difference is absurd, but we aren’t questioning Porsche on this engineering solution, especially when you find out how fast this four-by-four luxobruiser truly is.

I don’t know how to soften the blow on this one, so here goes nothing: the 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S facelift is the fastest SUV around the ‘Ring thanks to a blistering 7-minute 59-second official lap time around the grueling German circuit. That’s a whole lot faster than the Range Rover Sport SVR.

Even more impressive is that the 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 lump up front generates 20 horsepower and 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) more than the pre-facelift Cayenne Turbo S, translating to 570 ponies and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm). Furthermore, the engine cover is beautified by Porsche's own Exclusive division with some carbon fiber trim here and there.

While output figures alone don’t tell much, the get-up-and-go does: 4.1 seconds to 62 mph (100 km/h), which is four tenths of a second faster than the pre-facelift and the Range Rover Sport SVR. Oh, and are you sitting still now? This bad boy is able to hit a scarcely believable 176 mph (283 km/h).

In terms of styling, the most powerful Cayenne ever is a case of same old same old. Unique visuals of this variant include a redesigned rear aerodynamic diffuser which integrates polished quad exhausts and that trick pearlescent coating of the show car.

Riding on 21-inch wheels and kept in check by all the usual hi-tech paraphernelia, including Porsche Traction Management, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S sends most of its available grunt to the rear wheels.

Slated to go on sale early this spring, the meanest Cayenne yet is a frenzy of sporty carbon fiber inside, including on the gear shifter. Truth be told, an SUV such as the one on hand only needs one optional extra: sports exhaust to make that V8 rumble more audible.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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