Porsche CayenneA generation of drivers has grown up with no memory of a time when Porsche did not sell SUVs, but when the Cayenne debuted in 2003, Porsche purists were horrified. Yet despite the controversy, it took Porsche less than two decades to reach the million mark in Cayenne sales, so the public adjusted to the idea of a big, four-door, four-wheel drive Porsche faster than some might have predicted. Some observers argue that the Cayenne saved Porsche from bankruptcy, while others argue that the Boxster roadster was Porsche's savior, so even in its success, the Cayenne generates controversy.Prior to its launch in the 2003 model year, Porsche purists decried the idea of a Porsche SUV, claiming that the company's mission was to build lightweight, great-handling, and very fast sports cars. Yet the resulting product proved to handle like no other SUV the world had ever seen. It was blisteringly fast, too, especially when equipped with the 450-horsepower, turbocharged version of its 4.5-liter V8. Drivers were won over, and the Cayenne became Porsche's best seller in short order.Even then, some reviewers questioned why Porsche chose to give the Cayenne some serious off-road chops. With 10 inches of ground clearance and a 22-inch fording depth, the Cayenne was capable of going where almost no sane Porsche owner would want to take their extremely expensive SUV. Critics argued that it could have been lighter and even faster if it had stuck to on-road driving. But Porsche has always been about engineering the best vehicles possible, and it brought that philosophy to its SUVs. Today, high-end manufacturers from Jaguar to Bentley make SUVs, following a path that Porsche blazed for them.
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