Sun Ra

A discussion on the turbo site prompts me to forward this note from autoextremist:

Porsche. It's official - the Infiniti FX45 makes the Cayenne look like a four-wheeled afterthought. From any angle, the FX45 looks like what a performance-oriented "SUV" should look like (if that's what floats your boat), and it just emphasizes just how far out to lunch Porsche was in their planning and in their design strategy for the Cayenne. The FX45 even humiliates the standard Cayenne S in performance (even though the S has 340H.P. to the FX45's 315H.P., the fact that the Porsche weighs 700 pounds more doesn't help matters), which must drive the Zuffenhausen crowd crazy. And once you factor in the dramatic cost difference between the two vehicles, it becomes just flat-out embarrassing for Porsche. Sure, they'll sell every Cayenne they make - for a very short while - but once the word gets out to the first-on-the-block crowd that what they're driving is merely a $89,000 blob with a Porsche crest on the hood, and its moment in the sun lasted a nanosecond - it will be so over. And one more thing: Porsche U.S. sales were down 38.5% for February. They're blaming the looming situation in Iraq, but we're betting Porsche's "can't miss" fortunes are about to head for the dumper.

Carrera51

The FX45 is a perfect example of the phrase, "a fool and his money are easily parted." I saw an FX45 up close yesterday. Looks like a station wagon with big tires. The Cayenne is a little pricey, but lets see how it does in its first comparison test with other high line SUVs before we pass judgement.

ked

It is possible that by the time Porsche runs out of first-on-the-block buyers, that Infiniti will already have moved on to their next SUV d'jour? Thence Porsche MAY have established a product that withstands the epicycles of the SUV sector. IF the dang thing is any good, that is...
Btw, I thought one could order an S for less than $89K... Is the Extremist "firing for effect"? Doesn't he work for D-C now?

M Danger

I beg To differ. I saw the fx45 driving behind one, and thought it definately puts the SPORT in SUV, while the styling may be subjective it definately has more charisma than the Cryenne.
The P fish looks pretty much like most suvs nothing to dramatic about it, except that the front looks like a 996(yawn)

Besides since most people arent going to take them offroad anyway why not just buy a wagon, it will handle like.... um.... a CAR!

Like me---> 540it With sport package

John from WA

A friend has the FX 45. It is a pretty cool car with a nice aggressive design. Porsche used to have aggressive designs, remember the fat 930 with whale tail. That was tough, aggressive, and cool in its era.

Sun Ra

I drove home behind an FX last nite. I hate, truly hate Infinity and lexus and all their fake "we are really a mercedes" branding and subdivision fake tit, fake brain customers. but the car is rad., and looks original and bizarre which are complements toward infinity in its ugly nothingness so far. i am impressed, still wouldnt buy it.

RobertG

ive seen alot already, it reminds me of a clown shoe. But the Cayenne reminds me of a **** helmet from certain angles.....Ill take the clown shoe.

ked

If the shoe fits, drive it.

Rob in WA

LMAO!!

Anir

Where the hell is Ken? I thought he'd be having an orgasm reading this post.

Watt,

Pretty strong generalization about Lexus and Infiniti. I know some pretty savvy business folks, who could easily own several Ferraris, that chose a Lexus in the early 90's as a less expensive alternative to a traditional German luxury car. As a previous owner of a highly flawed 2000 Mercedes S500 (their top offering at the time), I believe you could make a strong argument that a Lexus is a better product for the money. It's certainly more reliable.

Personally, I don't like Lexus products, because they tend to be soft (biased towards comfort rather than performance), blandly styled, and seem to isolate the driver. However, that doesn't make Lexus owners braindead, or whatever it is that you think they are.

Don't forget that a lots of folks think all Porsche drivers are jerks. Your hostile attitude towards owners of some brands may be contributing to that perception.

Sun Ra

If you look at the price/performance deficits Porsche suffers, it is pretty silly

Difference Engine

Even if the FX45 did everything better than the Cayenne, I still would not drive one. It is truly the ugliest vehicle on the market at the moment. I'd drive an Aztek before the FX45.

Flying Finn

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Anir:
<strong>Where the hell is Ken? I thought he'd be having an orgasm reading this post...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"><img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />

Maybe he can't type with his left hand?

(note: Ken, don't take this too seriously)

George from MD

No. I would not drive an Aztek before an FX45.

That's just going too far. An Aztek is probably the ugliest vehicle I've ever seen in the flesh- possibly the ugliest GM has ever produced since 1960.

The Cayenne is ugly; I've even called it butt ugly, and you might not like the FX45 (I'm not crazy about it- it has the kind of too swoopy soon to be dated look typical of Japanese cars lately) but either one is positively beautiful next to that godawful Aztek.

George from MD

But wait! I forgot the B-2Slow (Datsun B-210). That was almost as ugly as the Aztek. Maybe we could have a separate post on what we think are the ugliest cars?