Finally, some specs on the upcoming Porsche Cayenne Hybrid S. While this is good for the car’s fuel efficiency and cleanliness, the problem is that it is a still an enormous, ugly lump in the middle of Porsche’s otherwise gorgeous lineup. It’s simply offensive, and this is an attempt to make it less so. Hit the jump for a little information and a lot more ranting.
The hybrid is going to be sporting a supercharged 3.0L Audi V6 that produces 333 horse power and 324 foot-pounds of torque and a 52 horse-power 221 foot-pound of torque electric motor. What does it all mean? It means that the new green monster will do 0-100 in a little less than seven seconds, and can go 140 kph on electric power alone (it needs gas to get there, but not to stay), all while cutting emissions by 20% when compared to the regular Cayenne S. The Cayenne Hybrid S will also feature what is being called an 8-speed transmission, but really looks more like it will be a 6-speed transmission with two overdrives. Not too shabby.
That said, I still think it’s ugly, especially the big, square back window. Just the other day I was sitting in Boogie Burger, one of my favorite burger joints and talking to a woman who worked there about the car. I said it was ugly, and she said she liked it because “it looks like a shoe.” While I can’t see how that looks like a shoe, this is unfortunately the most compelling argument for the car.
PS: You can bet we’ll see a Panamera Hybrid with the same powertrain in the near future.