When you think of the Porsche Cayenne, the image of a rugged off-road vehicle that can take punishment is hardly the first one to come to mind. In fact, despite its characteristic for a 4X4 vehicle tall statue, the German SUV is mostly associated with performance. Be that as it may, YouTube channel, Harrison Schoen, has decided to prove that the Porsche Cayenne is way more than a fast, soccer-mom SUV, despite commanding a premium price tag when new.

Not your average performance SUV

The Cayenne was Porsche’s first SUV. Back in 2002, when it came out, the SUV was the saving grace of the German brand, which at the time, was in a bit of a pickle. But just because Porsche’s first SUV was built out of necessity more than anything else, doesn’t mean it wasn’t engineered in the typical-for-Porsche, pedantic manner.

The YouTuber has decided to tackle Hell’s Gate with a bone-stock, Porsche Cayenne 955 facelift, which was built between 2007 and 2010. The 400-horsepower (298 kilowatts) power figure, quoted by the owner, corresponds to this model’s GTS trim even though according to the vlogger, this is a Cayenne S. Regardless, in both cases, the Cayenne packs a 4.8-liter, naturally-aspirated, DOHC, V-8 engine that also puts out 368 pound-feet (500 Nm).

You might find it surprising for a premium, performance SUV, but these first-generation Cayennes could also be had with a six-speed manual. We assume that most buyers of the SUV opted for the Tiptronic unit with the same number of gears and this one is likely equipped with it. Still, the German SUV is capable of reaching 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in just 6.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 156 mph (251 km/h). To put things in perspective, an early Porsche 911 (996) Carrera needs about the same to get to 60 mph (97 km/h), and unlike the Cayenne, you can't live in the small 911.

What makes the Porsche Cayenne a good off-roader?

Powering through obstacles is important in courses like Hell’s Gate, and the Cayenne’s 400 horsepower from its V-8, as you will see, are more than adequate. The big German also comes with a central locking differential, low-range gears from the factory, and six-piston Brembo brakes. The only upgrade to the car is the 32-inch, General ATX tires, wrapped around factory, 20-inch wheels. To make things more interesting, the Porsche Cayenne is being benchmarked against an Acura MDX from the same period, with a 2.5-inch lift kit and 31.5-inch all-terrain tires. As you can see in the video below, the Porsche Cayenne does not make it easy on the better-prepared Japanese SUV.

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