Richard Hammond drives the electric Cayenne for the first time
Porsche have invited me to drive their new EV up a hill climb. What could possibly go wrong? We’re back at Shelley Walsh, a place of legend that tugs at the heartstrings of any automotive enthusiast. Slightly less romantically in my case, because last time I was here, I rolled a Vauxil Nova coming back down the hill. Still, we’re not here to mess around today. We’re here to set a record. Fastest ever SUV up the hill. And it’s fitting that we’re doing it in the car that started the whole genre 23 years ago, the Porsche Cayenne. It was a controversial moment when this hulking great Porsche arrived on the scene, but it went on effectively to save the entire company. But we’re not using that old bus for that. We’re using this one, the new upcoming Porsche Cayenne. And controversy once more. It’s electric. Now, you won’t have seen one of these on the roads yet, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen it. This is the first time I’ve seen it. I should stress though, this this is a prototype. There are going to be changes visually. The rear lights aren’t as they’re going to be, bits and pieces, but underneath this is the actual car. And in typical Porsche fashion, they’ve just dropped it off and said, “Well, there you go. Help yourself. Put it to work.” So, I’m going to I’m going to test the U bit of an SUV. I’ve got some errands to run today. And I’m going to use this. I feel very special. So, utility. My needs today are for a car to tow my old Lag back to the garage. It’s not a light car. It’s a bit of a chunk, but that’s not a problem cuz this thing can tow 3 and a half thousand kg. Porsche are keeping back a lot of information. It is early days for this. It’s a prototype, but they have told me it’s 3 1/2 tons. That’s a lot. I mean, it’s it’s more than any electric SUV, and it’s a big deal. A lot had to go into that. Obviously, structurally, the car has to be able to withstand the loads without snapping. It also is asking a lot of the suspension, the brakes, the tires. But beyond the physical robustness of the vehicle, it’s doing a lot of work to tow anything like that weight. We know a car is working hard on a racetrack. And we know in electric cars, that means work has to be done to cool the battery. But if you’re pulling 3 1/2 tons, that’s demanding a lot of energy. And a lot of energy going through the system in a car like this means a lot of heat. They have had to do a lot of work to manage the thermal impact, the temperatures, the heat of working this hard, but it doesn’t seem to notice that it’s doing it. Honestly, well, it it is not aware that it’s pulling several tons of ancient car behind it. It really isn’t. Right. Bit of an incline here. No, it seems to just level hills. I love driving prototype cars out in the wild. I’ve been lucky enough to do it a few times, not many, but it’s great watching people’s reaction. You can tell if somebody’s a car enthusiast cuz you, well, wait a minute, that’s the new Oh, it’s gone. Peering to get any clues as to what it’s going to be like. And also, I’ll be honest, it makes you feel quite special. I mean, I’m not going to see another one coming the other way, am I? This is such a good example of how the whole car landscape is going to change as electric cars become better and cleverer as we find the applications for which they are the best option and that will be the case. There will be some applications where an electric car is better than an internal combustion and vice versa. Manufacturers like Porsche, they just make both. That’s the answer. Make really good internal combustion engines and make brilliant electric cars and let the customer decide what fits your life best. So, that’s that part of its duties for me today done. I mean, I don’t think you’d even notice it had my heavy old car on the back. And while we’re talking utility, practicality, storage, I am told that this is a slightly bigger Cayenne. I don’t know by how much, but that means more storage space obviously. Plus, it’s electric. So, up front here, where there would be an engine, there is storage space. Now, you’re not allowed to see this. I am cuz I’m special. And well, I get my weekend luggage in there. No problem. So, that is the U in SUV utility dealt with. Let’s get back to the S sport. Well, I’m not setting the record. They’ve got a professional driver for that. It was decided it probably wasn’t the best thing for me to do it. thing is neither am I here to give you a review of the car because well they won’t tell me anything about it. I have done a bit of digging and found out a few bits and pieces. I do know it’s got Porsche active ride suspension like the tyan that I drove. So the suspension pushes and pulls which controls the weight of the car. I don’t know what the weight is. They won’t tell me. But I can tell you it’s going to be heavy. It’s an EV. They all are. And straight away, I can feel the suspension is pushing to keep the car level. It’s like it’s flying. It’s not going to be short of power for the record. Again, they won’t tell me how much it’s got, but they will tell me it’s going to be more powerful than the most powerful current Cayenne. So, that’s 730 at least. It’s going to be a big number. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s four figures, but we shall see. Good lord. Yeah, there’s something about the way an EV delivers its power that’s just irresistible. It’s relentless. Right. So, I’m going back down the hill now. Um, I’ve warmed the tires for the pro driver. My job is done. I’m going to hand it over and see if she can uh break a record today. This is really exciting. And if you’re wondering about all the noises, it’s in track mode and they’ve mixed a little bit of V8 into it and I’m quite pleased about that. Meet Gabriella, nicknamed Quick Gabby for obvious reasons. She’s a GT Winter Series champion, LMP3 race winner, and Porsche Formula E development driver. So, it’s safe to say she’s far more cut out for the job than, well, me. Gabby used her practice run to get a feel for the car’s handling up the hill before laying down a record attempt. While I wait for the car to leave the line, the final letter in SUV, V is vehicle. And well, I mean, it is one. I’ve proven that. It can do the utilitarian stuff. It can do this. It’s a car. And it also illustrates I think it’s the way things are going to go. I’ve been saying it for a while. It’s not going to be all electric or all internal combustion. It will be a combination, a mix, a blend. There will actually be internal combustion engine versions of the Cayenne in the future. And customers will pick the one that works best for them. I think this one’s probably going to prove if you want to break a record up a hill climb, go electric, cuz that’s the only way to get the incredible power output you can get out of a car like that one. And while I’m standing here waiting, I’m suddenly feeling, I hope the weather holds up. It didn’t. Heavy rain squashed the chances of a record, but the Porsche remained determined, and we prayed for a better day tomorrow. Good morning to everyone. Welcome to Shelsey. The sun is shining up here. The track is bone dry. Everything’s looking great. Where else would you want to be on a sunny day? The Porsche KEV on the line. The brand new Porsche KV. Just so you know, the record here for an SUV is 35.53. So, keep an eye on this Porsche. Rockets off the line with all that torque from the EV. 1.94 seconds to 60 ft already with you.
Wow. The lights are on. It’s trying to break this record for the EV. I tell you what, for a big car, that is scuppering up the hill. Something special.
It is indeed. And she’s purple in the first to kennel. And I’d se crossing as well. to the S’s. This is for the SUV record through top. Very neat and tidy from Gabriella. 31.28 3128 smashes the SUV record here at Shelley by over 4 seconds. So, quickest SUV ever up Shelley Walsh. Well done, Gabriella. It’s fair to say Gabby rung every last kilowatt out of the Cayenne, setting a record that’ll take a herculean effort to get anywhere near. Good luck SUV manufacturers. Yeah, I think you’re going to need it.
Richard Hammond joins Porsche in England for an early look at the all-electric Cayenne. From towing a three-tonne classic to setting a record on the legendary Shelsley Walsh hillclimb, this prototype proves just how capable the new Cayenne Electric will be.
__
Follow Porsche on Instagram: https://porsche.click/2R1FOPM
Like Porsche on Facebook: https://porsche.click/3dFSRQs
Follow Porsche on TikTok: https://porsche.click/3AHZ4aQ
Follow Porsche on Twitch: http://porsche.click/3deSdsi
Subscribe to Porsche on YouTube: https://porsche.click/2WWDxZZ
Visit the Porsche Website: https://porsche.click/2yprQAR
