The Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric’s performance makes no sense for a 6,000-pound SUV. The vehicle set some splashy headlines last week with instrument-tested figures that would embarrass most supercars, including the Corvette ZR1. On an empty test track, host Kyle Conner of Out of Spec Studios ran several straight-line acceleration runs and braking tests, revealing numbers that defy the vehicle’s size and weight.
Modern performance cars are so fast that seeing sub-three-second 0-60 mph times is pretty common. However, to see a 6,150-pound electric SUV fire off a 2.279-second 0-60 time is just ridiculous. With a one-foot rollout, that time drops to 2.142 seconds. That’s Ferrari 296 GTB territory in an electric SUV that seats five. What’s even more impressive is its consistency. Its quarter-mile times were all in the 9.6-second range, and it crossed the line in the 143 mph range every since time.
Acceleration is expected from a Porsche model with “Turbo” in the name, but the scale of the Cayenne Turbo’s dominance is wild to see. SUVs as big and heavy as the Cayenne Turbo should not be able to embarrass supercars in every single metric. I can understand the acceleration thing, as the Cayenne Turbo has 1,139 instant electric horsepower. But to brake as well as a lightweight mid-engine supercar is just not normal.
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Braking Distances
What about when it comes time to haul that 6,150 pounds down from speed? Even without carbon ceramics, Conner’s test car stopped from 75-0 mph in just 147 feet. The next closest car Out of Spec tested the same way was the Tesla Model X AWD, which did it in 182 feet. That about 2.5 car lengths shorter. To put this even further in perspective, Car and Driver saw the Cayenne match the Corvette ZR1’s braking distance.
It is difficult to reconcile these numbers with the vehicle’s mass. In the past, engineers would focus on trade-offs: a heavy SUV might accelerate well but stop poorly or handle clumsily. This vehicle appears to have broken those traditional compromises. Watching electric performance cars is far less exciting than actually being in them, because their lack of noise removes much of what makes cars thrilling to watch. Even with that emotional disadvantage, the electric Cayenne Turbo manages to impress.
Watch the Numbers
To read about the figures is one thing, but to actually see the Cayenne do it is another. In this video from Out of Spec Studios, you get to witness Porsche’s dominance with your own eyes. Regardless of what you drive, if you see a Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric on the road, do not pick a fight with it. You’ll lose.
