Never in my life would I have imagined taking a half a million-dollar Porsche across 45-degree dirt banks and steep, off-road inclinations, or dance a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) that weighs just under two tonnes through a high-speed Formula One race track.

But behind the wheel of the third generation Porsche Cayenne at the Sepang International Circuit a few days ago, I managed to strike the abovementioned activities off my bucket list.


For the hot laps

Staring at the new Cayenne, which measures 4,918mm long and 1,983mm wide, it's forgivable to think that it would be painful to drive it around the 5.5km Malaysian racetrack but like the generations before, it's once again the standard bearer in the driving department.

Whether slowing down for corner entry, turning towards an apex or scurrying for the next one, there is never an instance when the Cayenne behaves like a big SUV. Instead, it displays the agility of a hot hatch - of which are the doings of several firsts.

Nothing short of impressive firsts

For starters, there's the world's first Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) that helps it shed speed faster than you can say 911. Standard on the Turbo and optional for the base and S models, PSCB works on the pairing of exceptionally hard tungsten-carbide coated discs and specially developed brake pads.

Gimmicky as it may seem, with what the mirror-like finishing of the discs and large 10-pot calipers, they worked just as marketing materials promised, despite the relentless punishment dished out to them under Malaysia's 36-degree weather.

Then, there is the model-first rear-axle steering that speeds up steering and shrinks the car's turning circle. The rear wheels turn in the opposite direction at lower speeds and in the same direction as the front at higher speeds.

This is perhaps the most obvious improvement to the Cayenne's drive. Coupled with a rewarding steering that's communicative and reasonably well-weighted, the Cayenne can be muscled with as much abandon through the circuit's tighter corners as a Volkswagen Golf R.

Fitted with the optional three-chamber air suspension and fat tyres, it is composed, with barely any body roll. Also belying its proportions is the way its twin-turbo V8 delivers its 542bhp and 770Nm of torque via a new eight-speed Tiptronic transmission that feels every bit decisive and smooth.

Flip the driving mode of the Sport Chrono Package switch on the steering wheel (another Cayenne-first) into the sportiest ones and the car will respond eagerly (and rather linearly) to every tap of the throttle, and bulldoze from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds.