Even more power for Cayenne

PORSCHE has wound up the Cayenne SUV's wick even further, with news that the German sports car maker will offer an even more powerful version of its hyper-SUV here by mid-2006.

The Cayenne Turbo S produces 383kW of power at 5500rpm and 720Nm of torque from just 2750rpm – an increase of 52kW and 100Nm over the current Cayenne Turbo flagship.

The enhanced biturbo 4.5-litre V8 engine is now second only to the Carrera GT as the most powerful production model Porsche ever built.

The more muscular engine delivers a zero to 100km/h sprint time of just 5.2 seconds and top speed of 270km/h, all from a vehicle tipping the scales at more than 2.3 tonnes.

The performance improvements have been gained through upgraded and more efficient intercoolers, increasing turbo boost pressure by 0.2 bar (to a maximum of 1.9 bar) and a modified engine management system.

The S also gets bigger brakes, 380mm up front (up 30mm over the Turbo) and 358mm out back (up 28mm).

Exterior styling cues remain largely unchanged with 20-inch SportTechno wheels, quad exhausts, Turbo S badging inside and out, and a new Navy Blue Metallic exterior colour.

The special 275/40 tyres on the Cayenne Turbo S are rated for speeds up to 300km/h.

The Cayenne Turbo S goes on sale mid-year and will be sold in limited numbers.