The name "Merdad" might not mean anything to a lot of people. If it doesn’t necessarily mean anything to you, don’t worry. After doing a little bit of reading of our own, we are here to shed a little light on this brand new company. The owner of this newly launched British company once worked with Gemballa. Now, we all know Gemballa had to close its doors recently due to a series of events beginning with the mysterious disappearance of the company’s founder, Uwe Gemballa. Now that he no longer has a position there, he has decided to start on his own little venture. The first project announced is a two-door Coupe version of the newly launched Porsche Cayenne. Quite a start-up vehicle, wouldn’t you say?
While Merdad only offered a few photos, they did announce that the tuning kit will come with 750 HP and a sporty interior. Of course there will also be a new body kit and a new set of wheels.
Ever since the Porsche Cayenne was launched recently we have seen tuners such as Kahn Design, Lumma Design, and Cargraphic put their hands on it to have it customized to their liking. Now, after a few customization programs for the new Panamera, TechArt has decided they would also like a piece of the Cayenne pie so they have turned their attention to the SUV. The tuning package includes individualization options for the exterior, the engine area, and the interior of the SUV.
The exterior package includes trims painted in custom colors or in carbon fiber, a carbon hood, sport tailpipes in polished stainless steel, and Formula III forged light alloy wheels in dimensions of 20- to 23-inch.
The interior gets high quality full leather and a 3-spoke sport steering wheels with paddle shifters.
Take a look at the back of this baby and it may seem a little familiar. When we looked at it, we saw a striking resemblance to the first image unveiled yesterday of Project Kahn’s interpretation of the Porsche Cayenne. We can’t say much about it now, but we will definitely be comparing these two packages when Kahn reveals specs on their tuning project.
Now that the new generation Porsche Cayenne has been officially launched on the market, tuners are going nuts over the Porsche SUV. After Lumma brought the first package for the SUV, Project Kahn Design decided it was time to reveal the first details on their customization program. Now, no details were given, but we did get to see one image of their tuned up Cayenne.
Kahn, first and foremost, are wheel specialists so the first thing we noticed is that they have changed the wheels. Next to that, the next thing we noticed were the 4 round stainless steel end exhaust tips. The tuner also offers a modest body kit and a few interior decorations.
Obviously, no engine specifications were given to quell our mechanical desire, but we’ll get back with more information on the Porsche Cayenne by Kahn as soon as we receive it. Meanwhile, check out the killer image provided.
Porsche has revealed the first commercial for the new generation Cayenne focusing on the idea that the "U" in SUV can be interpreted in a different way. The Porsche way. We don’t really get it, but maybe someone else will. Check out the commercial and shed some light on it for us.
The Porsche Cayenne is offered in five different versions: standard, diesel, hybrid, S and Turbo. The horsepower can range from 240hp with the diesel variant to 500hp with the Turbo. The hybrid model combines a 47 hp electric motor with a 333 hp compressor engine. The two drive units deliver a total of 380 bhp and peak torque of 427 lb-ft at just 1,000 rpm.
The new generation Cayenne comes with new design, both inside and out, with an extra-light all-wheel drive system that reduced the total weight by 400 lbs.
Porsche USA has announced prices for the new generation Cayenne that will be offered in four different versions: Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne S Hybrid, and Cayenne Turbo. The standard version which delivers 300 HP out of its 3.6-liter V6 engine is priced at $46,700 while the S version with a 4.8-liter V8 producing 400 hp can be purchased for $63,700. The Cayenne S Hybrid is priced at $67,700 (only $4000 more than the S version). Surprisingly, the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid is still significantly less expensive than the BMW X6 Hybrid which retails at about $90,000. The most powerful version, the Turbo has a starting price of $104,800 with its 4.8-liter V8 biturbo producing an impressive 500 hp.
The options list include: 8-speed Tiptronic S Inclusive Auto Start Stop Function - $3,000, Air Suspension with Self-leveling and Height Adjustment with PASM - $3,980, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) - $3,510; Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) - $8,150; Burmester High-End Surround Sound System - $5,690; Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with Navigation Module - $3,645 and more.
