I don't find this subject to be off-topic at all. This is the Cayenne Forum and the Cayenne is a high power SUV.
I think Nick had all the rights to ask this question, it is actually a pretty interesting one.
I try to get to this subject from a different perspective:
imagine you guys that you have family (wife and at least one kid). And imagine you need a lot of room for luggage and kids stuff. Now imagine you have to drive around 800 km in your car with wife, kid and tons of luggage. How do you do that in your Ferrari or Porsche? Oh well, right...you buy a limousine, eventually a sporty one with lots of power. But hey, did you ever see how much luggage a family with kids needs? So this is no option. Right, you buy a SUV. But now imagine how slow and boring a SUV with 2.3 tons weight (probably more like 2.8 tons fully loaded
) and only a 150 HP engine can be. Even a small japanese compact car might be faster, especially when driving hills up, etc. Also imagine how frustrating it must be for a Ferrari or Porsche owner to switch cars and drive in a slow and heavy SUV. Now here's where the high power SUV jumps in: it is a fast, poweful car with lots of space for wife, kids and luggage. It is almost the perfect winter car (especially over here in Bavaria and Austria/Switzerland when we go skiing) and sometimes it is very useful on some of my rare Eastern Europe trips.
Please understand: I don't want to get bored, I don't want to hate my family car and I don't want to be one of those frustrated dads who jell at the kids when they start singing in the car. I want to have fun, what is wrong with that?
I have the driving skills, I'm not driving my SUV as I would drive my Porsche and I'm always aware that I have a wife and a little child in my car.
Last but not least: yes, it is fun to see how some (so called) sportscar owners make big eyes when I pass them. So what? This is part of the game of life. Don't you guys enjoy it when you pass somebody in your Ferrari or Porsche? C'mon.
There is no need to forbid high power SUVs, I know about such a campaign in the US and these are probably the same people who would be outraged if I told them that I drive 200 mph almost every day in my backyard. So what? I can do things with my wife's SLK 32 other people wouldn't dream of in a 996 Turbo. Everything depends on driving skills, experience and mental health.
This is similar to sports: some people do unbelievable things in sports and we think they're crazy. But they're actually very skilled and highly trained. Would somebody please forbid skiing, hiking, boxing or paragliding?
Fuel prices and also car prices will limit access to these high power SUVs, I'm sure about that.
And one last thing: why not forbid sportscars? They're way too fast, right?
Oh yeah, let's forbid Sex too...too many people dying from AIDS, VDs, heart attacks, etc.
The high power SUV delelopment is actually a very interesting one. Take a Ford Explorer MY 2001 and a ML 55 MY 2001 and you'll understand what I mean. SUV is not always SUV.
And before you guys think I'm crazy: take a Cayenne Turbo for a ride, let's say for around 100 mls. As skilled sportscar drivers, try to make that thing brake out or do nasty things. I'm curious about your experience, you'll be surprised...actually
shocked. What I did with the Cayenne Turbo during my testride, some people might not do with their 996 Turbo.
And I'm still alive, I didn't kill anybody, they didn't take my driver's license and my dealer got his Cayenne Turbo back without scratches.
I bet CR can confirm the Cayenne's qualities.
Or to use the words of an engineer who worked in Cayenne development: it takes a fool to make that thing turn upside down and it is even fool-proof.
But if you guys want to talk about fuel consumption and environmental issues, you're right. These high power SUVs eat a lot of fuel, way too much. I guess weight reduction will be one main goal for the next few years.
