Porsche Cayenne

When Porsche unveiled the Cayenne at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, many enthusiasts cried sacrilege. The maker of the 911 was moving into luxury off-roaders, with a vehicle weighing more than two tonnes, developed jointly with the Volkswagen Touareg.

Yet Porsche applied all its expertise to it. The Cayenne combined genuine four-wheel drive and air suspension with sports-car performance: the 450-horsepower Turbo version exceeded 260 km/h. It proved that a large family SUV could offer the handling and driving pleasure of a Porsche.

The gamble paid off. The Cayenne quickly became the brand’s best-selling model and secured its finances, allowing it to keep developing its sports cars. It also paved the way for the luxury and performance SUVs that almost every prestige manufacturer later adopted. It is one of the most important turning points in Porsche’s history.