Considering how small and heavy the first generation Touareg/Cayenne platform is/was, that's not much of an accomplishment...

 

The new Cayenne looks good, except the Turbo. Its front and grill are too much in-your-face.

 

I think the weight savings are a little smoke and mirrors to be honest. Come mostly from ditching the rather good (but for most people superfluous) off-road gear like low range gears, locking axles, underbody reinforcement, etc. All of these frankly actually supported the old Cayennes case for being functionally excellent (which in my mind has also been a core value proposition for Porsche). Now seems that they are focusing on functional excellence for on-road driving performance for a SUV (and we can argue about the merits of that goal).

 

So more like Lexus RX series... the only true off-road premium SUV is Range Rover/Land Rovers!

 

Suppose that depends on your definition of "true off-road premium SUV". The Lexus RX is purely a car platform; unibody, front-wheel drive, MacPherson strut suspension, no locking diffs, etc. The Touareg/Cayenne was always a unibody, as is the current Land Rovers/Range Rovers, but they use coil springs and have locking diffs. The Lexus LS/Land Cruiser still uses a body on frame, so they could be considered the last true off-road premium SUV, but they are too big to get down any serious trail.

From what I've read, the upcoming Touareg/Cayenne platform gets its weight loss from more use of aluminum, not reduction in off-road ability.

 

Porsche has released the 2011 Cayeene Web Special on the website now.

 

Really? Cutting edge? Are you sure about that??? Maybe 'cutting edge' like audi with the aluminum hood on the S4, yet it is still 4000lbs?
Look, Porsche had a clean sheet of paper on this design and made a car that has less usable space than an M5 and weighs more. It is a standard stamped unibody that has some cast magnesium and aluminum bits. A nicely optioned panamera ranges from 4100-4500lbs. At its size, that is obscene. Comparing its weight to a 7 series, (like C&D did) may make it look smarter, but porsche should have canned the panamera and cayenne and started over. It actually is closer in size to a 3 series........Scratch that, the M3 sedan has more interior space (5 cubic feet) and is 300 lbs lighter.......

 

If it ditches those hardware goodies, that is more like cutting cost than cutting weight...

 

I wouldn't call the 997 overweight though, not for its size and equipment level. I think that if Porsche goes lighter, it would end up with an Elise and no one wants that.

 

It is my understanding... from the Panamera event I attended in Beverly Hills a while back with Porsche.... that Porsche not only used cutting edge materials (magnesium, aluminium, etc.) but also cutting edge manufacturing techniques like bonding, etc. typically used in manufacturing aircraft and not cars.

I would be happy to say that I'm completely wrong but I simply cannot believe that an M3 has anywhere near the same interior space as a Panamera. The backseat in a Panamera is HUGE compared to a 3 series. Never mind the front seats. I'd love to see data on that because I'd be happy to raise my hand and correct myself.

I am 100% certain that a Panamera's exterior is a whole lot bigger than any 3 series.

 

Strongly disagree here.

The Lexus LX570 is every bit, if not more, the "premium" SUV that the Rovers are. And while I haven't yet driven one, the GX470 is probably every bit the premium SUV that the current Land Rover is.

 

All the chatter about off roading in these "primo suvees" cracks me up. My neighbor has a Range Rover (dunno which -they all look the same to me) w/ ultra low profile tires (maybe 22's?) and yet has all the metal guards on the front bumper and tail lights. Go figure.

 

the M3 has more headroom than the Panny, esp in the rear. The P has more rear legroom and a bigger boot. The interior of the M3 is krap.
Also since you brought up the M5, which I think is the most comparable, the P S weighs less than the M5. The Panny 4 S, however, does weigh more. And yes the P's boot is still bigger.

 

It would be great if the new 911 did lose 300 lbs. I imagine they could if they used lighter weight materials though out the car. I saw a program on TV or something, one of the Japanese manufacturers are all ready thinking of the future in this new green conscious era, came up with a plastic or foam that has more strength and weights less the aluminum. Easiest way to lower fuel consumption is to reduce the weight.

 

I agree. theres no doubt that P couldnt lose 10% thru the use of CF and alloys. Obviously the question will be, will buyers pay, say 30%, more this. My guess is no. The price of that tech is still rather expensive. This is the logic behind that Lexus LFA. Use it as a test bed to learn and bring scale driving down manufacturing costs.