Since 2002, Porsche->ke1 has offered the Cayenne->ke212 as a means to turn the laws of physics into so much chewed bubble gum. Now, the crew from Stuttgart has unveiled an updated variant of this performance behemoth at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, and it’s more powerful, more capable in the bends, and more likely to embarrass sports cars->ke506 bearing half its curb weight.

Nothing backs a claim to racing intent like a solid lap time, and the 2016 Cayenne Turbo S has one: 7:59.74 minutes for the North Loop of the Nürburgring,->ke999 to be exact. That’s the same territory where you’ll find the Alfa Romeo 4C, Dodge Viper SRT-10, and Porsche’s own Cayman S, all of which may run into difficulty seating four passengers and hauling some groceries.

The most important update is in the 4.8-liter, twin-turbo V-8, which gets a bump in output to 570 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, an additional 20 horses and 37 more pound-feet of torque compared to the previous engine. The double boost snails are now integrated inside the exhaust manifold for a sharper throttle response. These updates produce a 0-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds, cutting 0.4 seconds from the previous model’s time. Top speed is clocked at a ludicrous 176 mph.

Throw a ton of power at something, and it’ll go fast in a straight line. However, encouraging a substantial amount of mass to change direction in a corner is far more complicated. To solve the issue, Stuttgart took out its jug of branded go-faster acronyms and poured out every last drop.

Slowing the speed are Porsche Composite Ceramic Brakes (PCCB) that use 16.5-inch front discs and simply outrageous 10-piston calipers (yes, 10 friggin’ pistons). Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) actively counters body lean, while Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) applies brakes to either the left or right side of the vehicle for crisper handling. The permanent all-wheel-drive system works in tandem with Porsche Traction Management (PTM) to get the nearly 600 horsepower cleanly onto the pavement.

At $196,244, the Cayenne Turbo S is far from cheap, but it’s a price that covers any and all revisions you may make to Newton’s laws of motion while driving about. A German launch date is scheduled for the second quarter of 2015.

Click past the jump to read more about the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.

Why it matters

With this proliferation of niche vehicles currently taking place, no specific class is sacred. Small cars are becoming utilitarian, sports cars are becoming efficient, and large cars are becoming racers. The Cayenne was one of the first to plunge down this path, and as such, it’s the model that many other manufacturers should consider a benchmark when it comes to performance-oriented SUVs. For example, Bentley has recently announced its intention to create the Bentayga, a high-powered luxury crossover. Or there’s the Range Rover Sport SVR, another V-8-powered super-SUV. The Cayenne Turbo S looks like it’s just going to get faster, pushing the boundaries of what a car this massive is capable of, which in turn should encourage other automakers to do the same.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S