MotorMouths

The Cayenne Turbo is an expensive way to get your jollies, but it delivers performance, handling and an impressive sense of all-around darn-near-perfection that makes it seem like a bargain at any price.

Given the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo’s breathtaking abilities on both the racetrack and the dirt track, it’s a price that will have 911 Turbo owners convincing themselves, “Maybe it’s time for me to move into an SUV.”

By retaining the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo’s high levels of performance and road-holding while combining them with a sizable reduction in weight and big gains in fuel economy, the Cayenne Turbo proves you can have your cake and eat it, too.

On traffic-free back roads, the 500-hp Porsche Cayenne Turbo feels a full size smaller and about two weight classes more agile than its predecessor. This vehicle seemingly neutralizes the laws of physics.

If money were no object, we’d find it nearly impossible to resist the charms of this six-figure SUV. The 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo is refined, comfortable, and — most crucially — unapologetically sporty.

Porsche sold more Cayennes in the US during August than the Boxster, Cayman, and 911 sports cars combined. After driving a 2011 Cayenne Turbo for a week, I finally see why. It’s now built like a Porsche.

You can feel the 911 connection in the way the Cayenne Turbo drives. According to Porsche’s performance figures, the mighty S.U.V. is as quick or quicker than 13 of the 20 variants of the 911.

The 2011 Porsche Cayenne is distinctly more attractive and better in about every way imaginable.

The Cayenne Turbo is much more resolved than the original. With more power, performance and better fuel mileage, Porsche looks to be adding a more positive chapter to the Cayenne’s already lengthy history.