Porsche Cayenne S Electric, heavy, but very much alive
Porsche pulled the covers off the Cayenne S Electric, a 2.5 tonne kinetic sculpture that reaches 100 km/h at a pace quick enough to leave yesterday’s supercars blushing.
No more standing starts, 657 horsepower and Launch Control
If the standard model’s 435 horsepower sounds almost sensible, the Cayenne S turns the dial well past that point. Its twin motor powertrain produces 536 horsepower in normal driving, but press Launch Control and the thing sheds all restraint. Output jumps to 657 horsepower.
The result is absurd in the best possible way. This large, heavy SUV storms from rest to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds. That is the sort of performance usually reserved for serious sports cars, not something that might also be tasked with the school run. Top speed is limited, sensibly enough, to 250 km/h, which still counts as a serious number in the world of electric cars.
Technology that does not flinch under pressure
Porsche’s engineers did not settle for brute force alone. They gave the rear motor a direct oil cooling system that removes heat from the windings in real time. In practice, that means the car can take repeated punishment without the electronics quietly trimming power out of self preservation.
A silicon carbide inverter also plays a central role. It is one of those pieces of engineering that sounds dry until you realise what it does. It can handle currents of up to 620 amps and helps the Cayenne S Electric deliver stable, repeatable performance even when conditions turn properly demanding.
More than electricity, Push to Pass and Active Ride
Anyone hoping for something a little more theatrical will find it in the Sport Chrono package. The new Push to Pass function gives the driver an extra 120 horsepower for ten seconds, which sounds tailor made for brisk overtakes, or for those moments when reason briefly takes a back seat.
The rest of the hardware backs up the headline figures nicely.
Porsche Active Ride keeps the body level through sharp corners and gives the Cayenne an unusual sense of composure for something so substantial.
Carbon ceramic brakes deal with the rather inconvenient truth that this much speed needs serious stopping power.
Torque Vectoring Plus sends power to the wheel that can use it best, sharpening traction and helping the whole car feel more precise than its size ought to allow.
A new era, and no loss of character
The Cayenne S Electric makes a fairly convincing case that going electric does not mean stripping the soul out of a Porsche. Quite the opposite. It turns the brand’s iconic SUV into something faster, sharper and more technically accomplished than ever.
Heavy? Yes. But dull? Not even close.
