What's all this about?
German tuning firm Techart has a history of taking some of the fastest Porsches going and, well, making them even quicker. So, step forward the Cayenne Turbo, as the mighty SUV becomes that little bit mightier.
What sort of power and performance are we talking about?
Techart subjects the Cayenne Turbo to a new sports air filter, revised exhaust manifolds, different turbochargers, oil and water pipes and its own engine management. Thus, from a starting point of 520hp and 750Nm, the big SUV goes mental with 700hp and 920Nm. That means it slashes half a second off the standard car's 4.4-second 0-62mph time, instead clocking 3.9 seconds, while 0-100mph takes just 9.1 seconds (10 seconds as standard). And 0-124mph, not even quoted for a regular Cayenne Turbo, is dispatched in a ridiculous 13.8 seconds. Opt for 22- or 23-inch wheels and you can go 193mph where permitted; with 21s on board, a 186mph limiter has to be imposed - boooo! However, as a normal Cayenne Turbo will be all done by 174mph, those numbers should be enough for Techart owners to lay the Autobahn smackdown on the regular Porker.
Umm, that's quite a lot of hardware. Is this kit cheap?
No. Good lord, no. You're looking at in excess of £21,000 (€29,155 in its native Germany) and this Powerkit TA058/T2 is just that - a kit. It comes with mounting hardware and fitting instructions. Meaning (gulp) you have to create your 193mph, two-tonne monster yourself.
Anything else you'd like to add about this upgrade?
You only get 700hp when you press the Turbo's standard-fit Sport button; otherwise, the Techart software releases a 'mere' 640hp. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are only said to be increased by 'less than 1 per cent' by the upgrade. An optional Techart Sports exhaust is also offered (price not stated) and later this year the latest Techart Magnum body kit will be revealed. These have always been, er... for a certain taste, but as more than 1,000 Magnums have been sold worldwide, the German firm is onto a winner here.
And if I don't want a 700hp Cayenne Turbo?
There's a 600hp TA058/T1 package for the same model, with torque increased 90Nm to 840Nm. And if you have a Cayenne S Diesel, with its 385hp/850Nm 4.2-litre V8, Techart will pump it up to the tune of 35hp/100Nm to maximums of 420hp/950Nm; it's called the TA058/SD1.
Matt Robinson - 22 Sep 2015