Imagine this: You’re strapped to one of those sleds with a couple of rockets bolted to its backside. The rockets fire and you hurtle down a set of rails at speeds that turn your face inside out and rearrange your squishy internal bits. You’ve just accelerated about as hard as you can imagine a human can survive.
Putting the hammer down in the Porsche Cayenne Coupe Electric is a lot like that. Except there are no rails. There are no rockets. Just four tires, a road, and two electric motors spinning with the power of some of the best engineering in the world. This SUV is capable of barbaric acceleration you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemies—only because it’s so damn fun, and there’s no way you’d share it with those dweebs.
There are three versions of this 5,600-plus-pound (!) machine, and they only get more ferocious as you go up the ladder. The base model gets 435 horsepower and 615 lb-ft. The S makes 657 hp and 796 lb-ft. The top dog is the 1,139-hp, 1,106-lb-ft Turbo, so named not because it has any turbocharging but because “Soul Reaver” doesn’t fit the established Porsche naming hierarchy. The base model isn’t quite so fearsome, of course, but it can still leg to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The Turbo lops more than two seconds from that time—so, almost half. And that’s being conservative. We can’t wait to strap our test gear to one.
Brutal acceleration isn’t the Cayenne Coupe Electric’s only party trick, of course. All versions handle with alacrity and grace and an effortless athleticism that belies how much they weigh and how complicated the software and hardware are that make it happen. For example, on S and Turbo models, you can spec Porsche Active Ride, the company’s trick suspension that can lean into bends and totally eliminate brake dive and acceleration squat. It’s freaky , and freaky good.
Turn into a corner, and this beast has all the grip you need and then some, changing direction with a fluidity something this tall and heavy should be incapable of. The same goes for how easy it is to place. Some of our drive occurred on very tight roads barely more than a lane and a half wide—and narrower in places—and it was a snap to delicately maneuver the big Porsche around oncoming traffic. Partial credit goes to the available rear-wheel steering, which tightens the coupe-UV’s turning radius, as well as the broad spectrum of abilities imparted by the standard adjustable air suspension.
Of course, the Coupe is just the regular Cayenne Electric SUV underneath, a vehicle that has already impressed us plenty . We’re told the Coupe’s sheetmetal is exclusive from the A-pillar back, including the 911-inspired roofline, and that the windshield is also unique. Those changes don’t alter the SUV version’s mind-twisting handling abilities, only make you look cooler while exploiting them and ensuring no one over 5-foot-10 can ride in back without brushing the headliner. The steering is accurate and nicely weighted in all modes; it doesn’t get too heavy in Sport+ nor is it too light in Comfort. The ride quality across the range is spectacular considering the wheels all measure 20 inches or larger and the tires go from wide on the base model to steamrollers on the Turbo.
On the autobahn, the Coupe remained steady and sure-footed at speeds that will get you arrested in the U.S.—we hit the speed limiters in an S and a Turbo. Floor it from 120 mph or so, and the S sort of jogs to its indicated 159-mph limit; in contrast, the Turbo aggressively shoves you back in your seat before running headlong into a soft barrier near an indicated 170 mph. The brakes are as talented at decelerating the electric Coupe as its motors are at slingshotting it toward the horizon, and they’re controlled via a progressive and responsive pedal. We wish there were a more aggressive one-pedal mode, but that’s a personal preference.
The electric Cayenne Coupes are also quite luxurious, as you might expect from vehicles that start at more than $116,000. In fact, you can pay more than $200,000 for a Turbo with all the fixins, although it comes with plenty of goodies as standard. A panoramic roof, a curved driver’s screen, Porsche’s quick-responding latest infotainment setup, and a central screen whose bottom section bends toward the cabin are included on all models.
Options include 2+1 seating to expand capacity to 5, any paint color but basic white or black, an electrochromic function for the roof panel, a Premium package with extra luxuries, and a Lightweight Sport package that shaves up to 39 pounds. Yes, that’s hilarious in the context of how much the electric Coupe weighs, but the package does have some nice stuff: a carbon roof panel in place of the glass roof, Race-Tex microsuede on the headliner and steering wheel, special 22-inch wheels, carbon-fiber interior trim, performance tires, and, coolest of all, Porsche’s classic Pepita checked upholstery on the seats.
On top of all that, the Cayenne Electric does EV stuff well. The 113-kWh battery is likely to deliver as much as 350 miles of range (the EPA has not rated these models yet) and can be recharged at speeds of up to 400 kW. In addition, Cayenne EVs have a NACS port on one side and a J1772 port on the other to make it easier to fast-charge on the go or charge at home. The ports live behind really cool motorized doors that slide away from view.
The Cayenne Electric is also compatible with Porsche’s wireless induction charging system, which places a pad on the floor of your garage that you simply park over to juice your car overnight at 11 kW with up to 90 percent efficiency. If you’re worried Fluffy might get zapped if they dart under the car, the charger has motion and object detection that can automatically turn it off.
Don’t like EVs? OK, go ahead and get a Cayenne Coupe with a pure internal combustion or plug-in-hybrid powertrain. You’ll still get oodles of capability and plenty of luxury. Us? We’ll sign up for the one that has all that plus the ability to beat a Saturn V to orbit.
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