Porsche's Upcoming Electric SUV Is Breaking Records Even Before Its Arrival in Showrooms | Carscoops

      Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond tested the towing capabilities of the Cayenne before a professional driver tackled the Shelsey Walsh Hillclimb.

      According to Porsche, the Cayenne Electric features active suspension and a towing capacity of 7,716 lbs. In a YouTube video, Hammond demonstrated the SUV's towing abilities. Subsequently, a professional driver used the Cayenne EV to break a British hillclimb record by over 4 seconds.

      Porsche plans to reveal its first electric Cayenne later this year, with a camouflaged version expected to be showcased at this month's Goodwood Festival of Speed. However, the EV has already been put to the test at another British hillclimb, where it exceeded an SUV record by 4 seconds, accelerating off the line as quickly as specialized race cars equipped with slick tires at the same event.

      The testing took place at the historic Shelsey Walsh hillclimb, which claims to be the oldest motorsport venue in the world still using its original course, having hosted its first event in 1905. Gabriela Jílková, a development driver for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, drove the EV up the challenging 1,000-yard (914 m), 16.7 percent grade road in 31.28 seconds, shattering the previous record of 35.53 seconds set by a Bentley Bentayga.

      Porsche's official time-keeping data indicated that the Cayenne covered the initial 60 yards (18.3 m) in just 1.94 seconds, a speed matched only by single-seater racecars on slick tires at the event, despite the Porsche utilizing road-legal summer tires.

      While Porsche has not disclosed the power output of the record-setting Cayenne prototype, some key details emerged from a video featuring Richard Hammond trying the EV before handing it over to Jílková for the hillclimb attempts.

      Hammond confirmed that the Cayenne is equipped with Porsche’s Active Ride suspension, which is also found in the Taycan but not in the Macan EV, the platform of which the Cayenne shares. He also remarked that the synthesized sounds emitted by the EV in Track mode resemble those of a combustion V8, and he mentioned being told that its power output would exceed the 730 hp (739 PS / 544 kW) provided by the most powerful ICE Cayenne, the turbo E-Hybrid.

      Of particular interest to owners of boats or trailers is the Cayenne Electric's towing capacity, which, depending on specifications, stands at 7,716 lbs (3,500 kg). Although some EVs, like the GMC Hummer, can tow more (12,000 lbs / 5,440 kg), the Cayenne Electric's rating is on par with that of the Rivian R1S and the conventional Cayenne, which will remain available alongside the new EV.

      To illustrate this capability, Hammond used the Cayenne to tow his heavy vintage Lagonda and stated that the electric motors made hauling uphill effortless.