New Porsche Cayenne Turbo S breaks 'Ring record

Porsche has been keeping its enthusiasts happy at the Detroit Motor Show with two new models - as well as unveiling the Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS, the Stuttgart-based firm has pulled the wraps off the fastest Cayenne SUV yet - the storming Turbo S. It's on sale in the UK in March, priced from £118,455.

Featuring the bi-turbo 4.8-litre V8 from the already potent Cayenne Turbo, the 'S' has been re-engineered to produce 562bhp, 20bhp up from before. Torque also jumps up to 800Nm, a 50Nm increase. These susbtantial numbers help the two-and-a quarter tonne luxury SUV shoot from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than before. Top speed is 176mph.

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As a result of these figures, the Cayenne Turbo S has, according to Porsche, lapped the North loop of the Nurburgring in 7:59.74. That's a new record for the SUV class, beating the record time previously held by the Range Rover Sport SVR by over 14 seconds.

Achieving all this took more than a quick ECU retune: Porsche has completely redesigned the turbochargers so they are now housed directly in the exhaust manifolds. This improves combustion, allowing more efficient running and therefore better output.

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But the Turbo S isn't all about power. Standard-fit 420mm Composite Ceramic brakes feature on the front wheels, with ten-piston calipers for the first time. Porsche's PDCC active chassis control reduces body roll, and the Torque Vectoring function works with the four-wheel drive system to make individual interventions with specific wheels.

A sports exhaust system is also available as an option in combination with a switchable 'sound symposer'; a system that uses the interior speakers to transmit an artificially-created enhancement of the V8 into the cabin.