2008 Porsche Cayenne Makes It to North America on Saturday, March 3

ATLANTA--Some car industry experts said the day might never come.

Proving them wrong, Porsche Cars North America is celebrating the launch of the next-generation 2008 Cayenne SUV, a more powerful new version of Porsche’s sport utility vehicle hitting U.S. dealer lots Saturday, March 3. The Cayenne has been arguably the most controversial car launch in Porsche history, especially with its many sports car purists who thought a SUV could dilute the essence of the legendary German sports car maker. However, after more than four years of remarkable sales success, the Cayenne has established itself as a successful cornerstone of Porsche’s traditional brand essence.

“We’ve never had a car as passionately debated by our pure sports car lovers as the Cayenne,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Porsche Cars North America president and CEO. “But when skeptics saw that we had infused the traditional, high levels of sports performance of a Porsche into an SUV, it became passionately loved. We expect this success story to continue with the market introduction of the second generation.”

Since its original launch in 2002, Porsche has produced more than 150,000 first-generation Cayennes at is factory in Leipzig, Germany. In North America alone, more than 60,000 have been sold, boosting Porsche to three consecutive record-breaking sales years in the U.S.

“There is no doubt, the Cayenne has helped drive Porsche’s sales growth in the U.S. and expanded our brand appeal to wider audience among all our models,” said Schwarzenbauer.

The 2008 Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Cayenne S and Porsche Cayenne Turbo were revealed at the North American International Auto Show in January. The evolutionary new Cayenne is now more defined visually and most importantly offers an array of technical improvements including, more powerful engines, using an advanced direct fuel injection that enhances fuel efficiency with the corresponding increase in horsepower.

For the 2008 Porsche Cayenne with its $43,400 base price ($58,900 Canadian), a 3.6-liter V6 engine pumps out 290 horsepower and 283 pound-feet of torque. For the 2008 Porsche Cayenne S with its $57,900 base price ($78,500 Canadian), the engine is 4.8-liter V8 that generates 385 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. For the 2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo with its $93,700 base price ($124,300 Canadian), the engine is a twin-turbocharged version of the 4.8-liter V8 that produces 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, propelling the five-passenger SUV from a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) in a mere 4.9 seconds on its way to a top speed on the test track of 171 mph (275 km/h).