by Wendy Lafond

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: July 08, 2008

Porsche has always stood for luxury, style and class. The new 2008 Porsche Cayenne V-6 looks no different until you look at the price tag. The most affordable Porsche that has ever graced a showroom floor is, as well, the Porsche that created the most controversy at it's inception. The critics ranted about Porsche being a sell-out to the SUV world. Having always been a world class leader in the sports car industry, no one thought that they should endeavor to break into any other realm of automotive design.

Porsche engineers had already done what no other auto makers had. The Porsche drive train, indisputably is the most innovative production design available. A supreme sports car with extreme power and handling capabilities that outscore the competition at every turn. Topped of with more luxuries than most people have in their living rooms, it was not a far distance to travel to the top of the SUV best seller list.

The 2008 Cayenne V-6 has a substantial new look. Almost as if the year they took off (there were no 2007 models) the Cayenne spent with a personal trainer. Beefed-up, buffed-up, and emboldened to take on the world and silence the critics for good. A slight face-lift and redesigned tail lamps help distinguish the new generation from the past models. An optional power liftgate, adjustable cargo tie-downs, and adaptive headlights sum up the external changes for 2008.

The 3.2L V-6 has been replaced with a 3.8L, increasing the horsepower from 247 to 290 and the pounds-feet of torque from 229 to 283 and dropping the 0-60 acceleration from 9.5 to 8.1 seconds, a highly notable feat considering the curb weight is a heavy 4,762 pounds. There are two transmissions available, the base 6-speed manual with hi-lo gear selection starts at around $43,000 and the Tiptronic 6-speed shiftable automatic which starts around $46,000.

The interior of the 2008 Cayenne has been virtually untouched. Supportive leather seats; automatic climate control; 12-speaker CD audio system; full power accessories, including front seats; and a trip computer make a satisfaction-guaranteed, full comfort, Porsche-styled luxurious, desirable automobile. Exciting to drive, rewarding to own, and not to hard to pay for, the 2008 Porsche Cayenne V-6 is a new dimension in high-performance engineering from the little German sports car company that has repeatedly taken the automotive industry by storm and turned other manufacturers on their proverbial ears. Every one of Porsche's competitors are scrambling to try to stay in league with the 2008 Cayenne, the SUV that fought the odds and won.

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