The latest evidence of Porsche’s never-ending quest to take over the automotive world (see our coverage of VW boardroom antics before the 2008 Geneva auto show) has been spied: a baby Cayenne.

We expect the little pepper to be launched in fall of 2009 with an on-sale date in the U.S. of spring, 2010, at prices starting in the low $40K range.

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Based on platform architecture shared with Audi's Q5, the compact SUV is the next logical step in the expansion of Porsche's range. Buoyed by the success of the Cayenne, the smaller version will compete with BMW's X3 and Land Rover's Freelander, offering a sportier driving experience than both.

As you can see from these spy shots of a prototype wearing a Cayenne body as a disguise, the new model is shorter and narrower. It will feature four-wheel drive and will share engines with the Q5, including a 3.2-litre V6 petrol and even the possibilty of diesel power for the first time too.

The new model is expected to go on sale next year with a price tag of around £40,000.

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Porsche’s Paris-Dakar 959s conquered the desert, but what would one feel like on the road? We found out.

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I’ve honed my driving skills, gotten very good at folding and unfolding maps, and taken note of every possible aspect of safety that exists — so that I can completely disregard all of them when the time comes to run.

When it does, I’ll be doing it in a Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

The idea of a Porsche truck still makes some people uncomfortable. They spend their days either deriding or ignoring it, hoping that it will just go away. Unfortunately for those people, the company sells a lot of them, and it is possibly the best truck in the world.

That is if the best truck in the world is supposed to be a sports car.

It’s not, but in this case, it is.

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For most of us, the idea of owning a Porsche would be special enough. For those who want an extra slice of exclusivity, however, there’s the new Boxster RS60 Spyder.

Each of them comes with a host of visual goodies, and the car’s 303bhp power output is 8bhp more than the standard £39,995 Boxster S on which it’s based. But can the RS60 really justify its £45,500 price tag?

Right from the outset, the Boxster was conceived to reflect the sporting simplicity of the classic Sixties Speedster models. It shares the same mid-engined layout and open-topped body, and one look at any Boxster’s lines is enough to see it has clearly been influenced by those cars.

The RS60 takes this a step further, with a roof and cabin finished in deep red – a colour scheme inspired by the seats fitted to the original racer. For those who find that arrangement a little too dramatic, there is the option of a more subtle grey interior and black hood instead.

Regardless of your colour choice, all cars get a black windscreen surround and a red finish to the tail-lights. A lower front spoiler and 19-inch alloys are standard, and to improve the handling, there’s a slightly wider track.

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Chief among these changes is a special Sportec turbocharger and sports-exhaust system which lift output to 600hp when combined with high-performance catalysts and increased air flow to the powertrain. The Sportec engineers have also thrown in a sports-clutch and will personally reprogram each customer’s electronic system to deal with the new adjustments.

All these changes lift horsepower to 600hp and torque to 765Nm available from as low as 3000rpm, giving the Sportec SP600 a rather quick jaunt to 60mph in just 3.3 seconds, a 10.6 second run to 200km/h and a top speed of 338km/h.

As for the bodykit, most of the stuff is optional so if you want to maintain a more discreet appearance you are by all means able to do so. But if you really want everyone to know that you’re not driving around in any ordinary 911 Turbo Cabrio, you can opt for custom 20″ rims, a front spoiler, side-skirts, 3-part rear apron, and a large carbon rear wing.

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The changes coming apply to the 2009 Carrera, Carrera S and their C4 and Targa variants. Look for the 3.6L base engine to get a 20-horse bump to 345 ponies, while Carrera/Targa S models see the 3.8L mill's output jump to a very healthy 385 horsepower. Both engines also get a commensurate increase in torque. The good news is that despite the added muscle, both the 3.6 and 3.8 are expected to consume less fuel and have cleaner emissions numbers.

As we've seen in numerous spy photos, new front and rear bumpers update the fascias. Lighting updates are also on the way, with standard bi-xenon headlights on the base car, plus LED daytime running lamps and LED taillamps across the board. New wheels will hide upgraded brakes, and word is that the Carrera 4 models will get additional cues that visually set them apart from the 2-wheel-drive cars. Inside, a new steering wheel tags along with the Doppelkupplung, and drivers can expect a freshened instrument panel boasting simplified controls and a host of improvements to the multimedia and nav system offerings. All the changes will be officially revealed/confirmed in June.

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The Cayenne Turbo S puts the hammer down, providing an additional 50 horsepower and a whopping 88 lb-ft of torque, and has fattened that torque curve in many areas to provide brutal, Mercedes-smiting acceleration. The gains were made thanks to a reprogrammed ECU and a new sport exhaust system with better airflow. Porsche says that the Turbo S can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, down from 5.1 seconds with the regular Turbo, and will continue to accelerate until 174 mph is reached, 3 mph higher than the standard SUV. And these upgrades come at no cost to fuel economy.

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Recently, Porsche documents have been leaked via internet that seem to confirm many of our suspicions about the 2009 911. Here's what we know so far, according to the leaked product information:

* The 2009 Porsche 911 will feature direct injection which will bump horsepower to 345 in the 3.6-liter engine (up 20 horses) and 385 in the 3.8-liter 'S'-spec engine (up 30 horses) in European spec. Both engines also benefit from an increase of 15 lb-ft of torque. Additionally, the revised engines will conform to the new EU5 European emissions regulations set to be enforced in the near future.
* Porsche's Doppelkupplung (PDK) seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission will also find its way to production in the 2009 911 (Porsche's version of DSG). A Sport Chrono Package Plus will be available in conjunction with the gearbox and will feature launch control, a racetrack gearshift strategy program, and an additional "Sport Plus" button - though we're not informed of its purpose.
* The 911 will be getting a subtle facelift in the form of a revised front bumper with larger air intakes, LED taillights and a revised rear bumper, restyled and separate parking lights to be located above the front air intakes, new stainless steel exhaust tips, larger exterior mirrors, and Bi-Xenon headlights will be standard on all 911 models.
* The larger brakes from the Carrera S will be fitted as standard to the base model as well, and the standard 18-inch wheels will be restyled. Inside, a new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system will make its debut with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display.

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We drive the key cars from the past six decades, spend a day with Derek Bell testing the hardcore cars and interview the people who make the company tick. For our cover story, we gathered four of the marque's supercars - and you can watch them in action in our video below:

• 959 (1987)
• 911 Turbo (1989)
• Carrera GT (2004)
• 911 GT2 (2008)

Our short film gives you a sneak look behind the scenes at the CAR photoshoot in an empty industrial warehouse. Photographers Mark Fagelson and Gus Gregory are snapping in the background, while road test editor Chris Chilton introduces the cars.

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This is the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, just unveiled at the Beijing motor show. With a headline-making 542bhp to call upon, it’s capable of cracking 62mph in under five seconds and going on to a maximum 174mph – incredible figures for any two-and-a-half tonne SUV.

The last Cayenne Turbo S had a piffling 514bhp; this one trumps even a 911 GT2 for power, and gets 37 extra pounds feet of torque than the current Cayenne Turbo too, with 553lb ft of the stuff between 2250- and 4500rpm. Porsche has turned to a modified exhaust system and ECU to produce that extra shove.

Officially, the car hits 62mph in just 4.8sec. Weissach has yet to announce a 0-100mph figure, but expect it to be in the region of 12.0sec.

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Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has extended its third model line by the addition of the top of the range Cayenne Turbo S. The Turbo S, the most powerful Cayenne of them all, is driven by a 4.8 liter V8 engine with twin turbo forced induction, delivering 550 hp (404 kW).

The Turbo S is Porsche's response to the wishes of its customers. There is huge demand, especially in the new emerging markets of Eastern Europe and Asia, for exclusive sports-style SUVs with top quality physical handling dynamics. Despite the fact that Porsche has managed to give the new Turbo S even better drive performance than the regular Turbo model (500 hp / 368 kW), the fuel efficiency figures for the Turbo S are exactly the same as those for the Cayenne Turbo (as per the calculation methods stipulated under the New European Operating Cycle – NEFZ).

From the outside, the Turbo S can be recognized by its 21 inch SportPlus alloy wheels housed within its painted wheel arches and by a sports exhaust system with four tail pipes made from aluminum investment casting. The air intake grills and wheel arches are painted the same color as the car body. The new understated yet elegant "lava gray metallic" paint option is exclusive to the Turbo S.

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A Porsche assembly plant could soon be constructed in the Leningrad Region in northwest Russia, the Vremya Novostei daily said on Thursday.

Leningrad Region officials held talks Wednesday with Valmet Automative Inc, a Finnish outsourcing company assembling premium specialty cars of different brands, including the Porsche Boxter and Porsche Cayman.

The officials said the company is looking for a plant which could be re-equipped with new production lines, the paper said.

The regional government offered the company four potential sites, and the local governmental press service said the prospective investors were interested in the "attractive Leningrad Region."

"The negotiators did not specify which models would be assembled, but said the company wants to initially roll out up to 10,000 cars," the daily said. "Valmet Automative wants to inspect the sites on offer and if the company is satisfied, another round of talks will follow."

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And yet, once again*, the Cayman Turbo is out testing. Surely they'll never sell it? It's on Ludwigsburg plates, so it's undoubtedly an official Porsche AG car. Is this a special edition? Are we going to get a GT4 Cayman? Or do my ears deceive me?

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