1,140hp Cayenne Turbo Electric is Porsche’s new power king

BARCELONA – Move over, 911 Turbo S and electric Taycan Turbo GT.

With 850kW (1,140hp), the Cayenne Turbo Electric is the most powerful production car in Porsche’s history and it will leave almost any petrol-powered sports car in the dust – even with a boat hitched to the tow hook.

Despite being also the heaviest Porsche at 2.7 tonnes, the behemoth is quick, vaulting from 0 to 100kmh in 2.5 seconds. That matches the V12-powered Lamborghini Revuelto and is more than enough to knock the wind out of unsuspecting passengers.

Beyond sharing the name, the Cayenne Turbo Electric and the base 325kW (436hp) Cayenne Electric are barely related to the engine-powered Cayenne models which debuted in 2018.

Sitting on a dedicated electric vehicle (EV) platform, the new versions are offered in parallel to the existing petrol and hybrid Cayenne models, which use a different architecture.

The pair of Porsche EVs also perform well in terms of charging speed and range.

The battery capacity of both versions is identical at 113kWh. The Turbo Electric has 537km of range, while the non-Turbo can manage 5km more.

In the Singapore context, most drivers will not need to plug in more than three times a month, although it is unlikely that they will be maximising the Porsche’s 400kW charging capacity because most chargers here are a lot slower.

Between repeatedly verifying Porsche’s performance claims and pushing both versions through the serpentine roads outside Barcelona, I find that the test cars’ energy consumption rates and operating ranges are, predictably, nowhere near the claimed figures.

Actually, the handling of the electric Cayenne, in both Turbo and non-Turbo forms, is almost otherworldly. Whether it is braking heavily from high speeds or flicking the steering from one direction to the other, the electric car feels much lighter and more agile than its weight suggests, even when the driver is being less than responsible.

That said, the relatively less powerful version weighs some 120kg less, with the difference coming from equipment variations.

There is plenty of technology in the background, but behind the wheel, the electric Cayenne feels natural to drive and not like a computer game.

For example, most of the braking is done by the electric motors working in reverse, charging the battery in the process. At some point, the mechanical brakes will kick in, but the pedal feel is consistent in any mode, so the driver can get precisely as much braking power as he or she needs.

The smooth roads on the test routes in Spain are not very representative of how the car’s adaptive air suspension will fare in Singapore, but the car does seem pleasantly pliant.

However, what is obvious when pushing the car fast and hard into corners in Spain is how body control becomes significantly tighter in Sport and the more extreme Sport+ mode than in Comfort mode.

But in Singapore, where the power and ultimate handling may be more academic than practical, the electric Cayenne’s biggest appeal may be its interior. This is also where the difference between the electric and existing combustion engine Cayennes is most stark.

The most obvious difference is the curved infotainment touchscreen, much like a smartphone’s flip-screen set-up.

Besides looking rather cool, the layout – complete with the padded wrist support – makes it easy to tap and swipe at the screen. This is an essential design feature, given the increased reliance on digital menus.

For example, instead of having simple – and elegant – physical tabs to adjust the air-conditioning vents like in the engine-powered Cayennes, the electric car has motorised vents, which can be controlled only via the touchscreen.

At least the controls for the temperature and fan speed, as well as the infotainment volume setting, are analogue. These are not only intuitive to use, but also operate with the crisp precision of a Swiss watch.

As for accommodations in the back, the Range Rover is probably still more of an off-road-capable limousine with its plump bench and the extended wheelbase option. But Porsche is closing the gap fast with the smooth-riding electric Cayenne.

Overall, the styling of the electric Cayenne’s interior is more luxurious and feels more technical than the combustion engine version, which has a chunkier and more rugged look.

This seems to be the same direction taken with the electric Cayenne’s exterior design.

The car is 55mm longer overall than the engine-powered Cayenne models to measure 4,985mm, but the wheels are pushed farther towards the corners, lengthening the wheelbase by some 128mm.

Besides carving out more space to accommodate the EV’s high-voltage batteries, the stretch makes the electric Cayenne look more elongated than the stockier engine-powered version.

Contributing to the sleeker profile are the frameless door windows, which is a first for a Cayenne, as they do without the thick chrome framing that typified other Cayenne models.

The headlights of the electric Cayenne are more swept back. Rather than a conventional gaping air intake flanked by big squarish vents, the electric car breathes through active slats below the number plate that close to maximise efficiency. The Turbo version has a slightly more exaggerated lip along with slightly bigger slits on the edges of the bumper.

While the car in either version is aerodynamically more slippery than other Cayennes, the smooth and simplified design also makes the electric models look a bit less distinctive on the road.

But the Turbo Electric does make a bigger impression at the rear. Its bumper is squarer and has a more exaggerated air diffuser design. It looks positively wild when the motorised vertical aero fins are extended.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and in Singapore, a recurring and painful tax bill.

Almost counterintuitively, the most powerful Porsche is not the most expensive model in the Cayenne range. That honour goes to the Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe with GT Package, which commands a $333,100 premium.

But the taxman will demand $13,095 every year for the privilege of putting the Cayenne Turbo Electric on the road – more than triple the $3,944 required for the 4-litre V8 hybrid.

Even the base Cayenne Electric, which is priced $48,500 lower than the 3-litre V6 Cayenne, looks less attractive when the road tax is factored in. Its $6,605 annual road tax bill towers over the 3-litre’s $2,380.

Ultimately, Porsche has successfully defied the laws of physics to make its 2.7-tonne super SUV dance. In the local context, however, even the power king has to bow to the cold, hard mathematics of Singaporean car ownership.

Road tester notes

Porsche Cayenne Electric/Cayenne Turbo Electric

Price: $372,788 without COE/$668,288 without COE
Motor: Permanent magnet synchronous with 113kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Single-speed, all-wheel drive
Power, with overboost: 325kW/850kW
Torque, with launch control: 835Nm/1,500Nm
0-100kmh: 4.8 seconds/2.5 seconds
Top speed: 230kmh/250kmh
Power consumption: 22.9kWh/100km/23.2kWh/100km
Charging capacity: 22kW AC; 390kW DC
Range: 542km/537km
Agent: Porsche Singapore