Diesel Porsche…What the heck???

You know by now I, along with many other people, am not a big fan of the Cayenne.  Well, at least the stock Cayenne (see this post on edo Competition’s Cayenne).  So when I read Porsche’s official press release late last month about the Cayenne diesel, of course my first thought was “Now the Cayenne can be chalked up to the slowest AND ugliest Porsche currently available.”

Since I’d already been bashing on the Cayenne a fair amount, I thought I better wait to post any thoughts about this new rendition of what I consider to be the ugly duckling in the Porsche family.

Over the last couple of weeks, in thinking about this post, I’m beggining to see some of the draw in the Cayenne diesel, and more importantly what this potentially represents from a technology perspective for the Porsche brand overall.  Heck, one of my favorite times in Porsche history was the debut of the 959 with all of it’s futuristic wizardry.  It was exciting to see in the years following the impact that had on the vehicles geared for us “common” folk.

Maybe my initial reactions of…

“…diesel equals slow.  Porsche is all about SPEED!”
“…since when is owning a Porsche about saving money?”
“…aren’t diesel motors for old trucks?  Let’s have some modern day technology!”

Should instead be more like…

“…a turbo just-about-anything will blow 90% of the cars off the road.”
“…kudos to Porsche for wanting to have a positive impact on the environment AND owner’s wallets.”
“…a diesel engine with things like spontaneous throttle response and high torque characteristics?  Exactly what I have come to expect from Porsche!”

I suppose this new version of the Cayenne could turn out to be an……ahem……good thing.  I hope the essence of Porsche is not lost along the way.

If anyone can pull it off, however, it’s Porsche.

Comments

  1. You do realize that the Cayenne is the top selling Porsche right? I guess a lot of people still don’t consider this to be a “real” Porsche yet. Branching out into the SUV market was a great idea for the company, as they can’t just rely on sports cars. Considering its weight, the car is extremely fast and looks distinctly Porsche.

  2. I don’t think the words Porsche and diesel go together either, but I also realize the world is changing and I can’t control everything. All I know is the quality of the company that Porsche is they will make it right.

  3. Stephen says

    I don’t know about a diesel Porsche. Something about the smell doesn’t fit with the quality of car.

  4. I agree with Stephen, diesel and Porsche just dont go together. Porsche is too refined a company to use what powers semitrucks in their cars.

  5. I disagree Stephen and Ben. Have you been behind one of the newer diesels? No more horrible smell. Also, they are more efficient, last longer, and can be boosted to put out some insane power. Look up Ford Powerstroke diesel drag racing. They have gotten those things down to 12secs (and probably faster now). You can get some crazy performance out of diesels.

  6. When Audi unveiled th R10 TDI a few years ago at Sebring, I had the opportunity to stand behind it while it was running…I couldn’t hear it, and couldn’t see any smoke…and the exhaust had a faint odor, but nothing like the traditional diesel. I remember hoping that this technology would find it’s way to the consumer market.

    This is that technology.

  7. The thing about diesel engines is they produce LOTS of low end torque, exactly why semi trucks use them, To get LOTS of weight moving from a standstill and the ability to sustain heavy weight movement at a reasonable speed without having to turn mega RPM`s.

    Since the idea of a diesel is going into a Cayenne possibly, Which carries multiple passengers (and groceries lol) and therefore potentially lots of weight. It doesnt seem odd to me at all. The Cayenne is quick buts it not a 911 and doesnt need to try to function as one either. Torque moves things quickly actually…. if its light enough you get SPEED! ..Semis weigh 80,000 pounds 🙂

  8. Yes, after owning a newer diesel pickup it is pretty impressive to see the power those diesels produce. They can be pretty quick and the low end torque produces good power.

  9. it’s just another option for people.

  10. Phil Schneider says

    While a heavy SUV doesn’t do much for me,
    I guess if they sell well it’s good for the
    company so they can continue to make
    the sports cars that I enjoy.

  11. mitchell says

    for an suv, i dont mind it at all, and it was obviously a smart business move. if anything, it probably brings the porsche brand and performance rep to more people and when they retire, they’ll get the sports toy..

  12. Phil Schneider says

    let someone whose fat and has a bunch of
    kids buy it.

  13. the more cars or trucks that run on diesel/bio-diesel,the less demand there will be for gas.less demand,lower price.

  14. bring on the diesel,electric,natural gas,etc.

  15. I’m all for saving the environment, but I hope they maintain the speed & power!

  16. look at 7.7 0-60 on weekly updates.

  17. We need to remember to not look at this from an American perspective. The Touaregs in Europe are consistently diesels (tdi). The technology they use, (and I saw an early comment tied to the Ford Powerstroke diesel- nice, but not quite the same-) is much like what others commented on. New, clean, and silent diesel. Incredibly fuel efficient, incredibly powerful/ torquey and very reliable. What I find interesting is that they are offering basically the same engines in the new Audi SUVs as well, but at a serious premium. Same with Mercedes and their bluetec diesels. 10k or more for just the diesel option. Nowhere near mainstream yet, but hopefully soon. I had the luxury of driving a Jeep Commander Limited 5.7L hemi which was powerful as heck, but a gas guzzler. My father had the same vehicle over in Stuttgart, but equipped with a re-engineered Mercedes bluetec 3.0L diesel that produced the same torque, but twice the fuel efficiency. He’d get 600 miles per tank- I would’ve died for one of those over here in the States, but they just don’t offer them. From a noise standpoint it was definitely no louder than the hemi, but man, off the line they had the same push, and the diesel felt like a feather.

  18. And Ryan- Albeit somewhat of a black sheep, some of the new spy shots of the Cayenne for 2012 look nasty. Much better curb appeal, sexier and sport looking with a narrower nose and tighter wheelbase- kind of like what happened to the new Infiniti FX line. Version 3 should be a crowd pleaser.

  19. good point,erik.diesel is huge in europe.we(u.s.)have only recently switched to cleaner diesel.

  20. That is interesting. a diesel porsche. howver like you all have been saying not farfetched. Diesels are very popular in germany, and since they have branched into the suv market why not make it the strongest suv out there. most any vehicle that can tow or goes offroad is diesel. There is a transsyberia version that would be awsome as a diesel.

    http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/295408,15703/2010-Porsche-Cayenne-S-Transsyberia_photo.aspx

  21. Laura Adams says

    There truly is a Porsche for everyone.

Trackbacks

  1. […] I can’t help but wonder if this is what Porscheophiles really want. This is a bit like the Cayenne Diesel for me. In my opinion, Porsche has never been about being cost conscious. Not that any car […]