In a region that thrives on extreme performance and style, Porsche has chosen Southern California's Los Angeles Auto Show to host the world premiere of its latest thrill machine. The spiritual epicenter of American speed and style - home of hot-rods and Hollywood - L.A. is the perfect venue for the arrival of Porsche's 2006 Cayenne Turbo S.

A supercar that seats five, the Cayenne Turbo S packs the wallop of 520 turbocharged horsepower. Combined with chassis dynamics tuned for enthusiasts, and sophisticated all-wheel-drive underpinnings, the Cayenne Turbo S sets the performance benchmark for SUV's.

In addition to boosting power output, Porsche engineers also modified suspension components, revised software controls for the Porsche Active Suspension Management system and beefed up the braking hardware. An optional SportDesign exterior body kit, developed in conjunction with Porsche's styling studio, is also available for the Cayenne Turbo S.

Engine

In the Cayenne Turbo S, engine output gets a 16 percent boost over the 450-horsepower Porsche Cayenne Turbo, to an impressive 520-horsepower peak at 5500 rpm. The torque generated by the twin-turbocharged, 4.5-liter V-8 engine grows to 530 lb.-ft. - a 15-percent increase over the 2006 Cayenne Turbo.

The torque curve for the Turbo S model is better described as a plateau, with maximum torque delivered from 2750 to 3750 rpm, and more than 510 lb-ft maintained from 2500 past 5000 rpm. The horsepower-per-liter figure for the Cayenne Turbo S is an amazing 115.4, compared to 99.7 for the already impressive Cayenne Turbo.

Performance

Flowing through intelligent all-wheel-drive and stability management systems, the additional power of the Cayenne Turbo S produces a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) time of just 4.8 seconds. And on the test track, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S is capable of achieving 167 miles per hour (270 km/h).

To provide such performance, Porsche engineers revised the engine control system's throttle map, and installed larger intercoolers that improve volumetric efficiency by lowering the temperature of the air entering the V-8 engine's intake tract. Thanks to the increase in the system's cooling efficiency, engineers increased turbo boost pressure by 4.3 psi (0.3 bar) to a maximum of 27.5 psi (1.9 bar).

Brakes and Wheels

Providing further control of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, the braking components have been upgraded. Up front, six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers clamp down on 1.5-inch-thick internally vented discs measuring 14.96 inches (380 mm) in diameter. At the rear, four-piston aluminum monobloc calipers bite onto internally vented 14.09-inch (358 mm) discs. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S rides on standard 20-inch Cayenne SportTechno wheels.

Price

The 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S goes on sale today in North America. U.S. and Canadian pricing for the new model is $111,600 (USD) and $157,000 (CAD).