Porsche Cayenne Turbo Pikes Peak Colorado - Test Drive On Cloud Nine

I was getting into the rhythm. The Cayenne's turbo power was unbelievable. The road was like marbles. Coming out of the tight turns, Second gear was too high, and turbo lag and the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) made the car feel sluggish. Drop it into First, give it just a bit of gas and whoa-she broke loose with all four tires right now and you found yourself in an uphill drift. I wished the new-for-2005 six-speed manual was available with the V-8 cars. It will only be offered with the V-6.

We climbed higher above the tree line. The sun was high enough now for sunglasses. The sky was blue and it was everywhere you looked. Especially dead ahead, which was the only place I was looking at the moment. The road just vanished into air, a 2,000-foot drop to my right and a barren rocky mountainside to my left. "Keep in it," Unser said in a knowing voice, "It's straight ahead over the rise, just some small esses, hammer down!"

Trusting him, I stayed in it as the road popped into view again. We were doing maybe 50 or 60 mph. It felt like 160! More turns and switchbacks came next.

"You're doing great! Much faster than Brock." (Hmm, I thought, he didn't drive it?)

"Damn, now that's how it's done!"

And towards the top came the best:

"Beautiful! I couldn't have driven this thing any faster around that one. That's just as fast as it's gonna stick for anyone."

"Look there, we're catching up to the Cayenne that left a minute ahead of us!"

As we crested the summit, now right on the leading Cayenne's tail, Bobby gave me one more head-swelling comment:

"That was great! You're one fast learner! I could make one hell of a stock car driver out of you!"

Any time, Bobby, any time.

We waited on the top for the rest of the cars to arrive. It was freezing cold and snow was blowing in the air---in August! We stayed in the warmth of the Cayenne, getting out only to switch drivers, as the rules were the pros got to drive us down. My time was over, but what a time it was. The whole thing went by way too fast. Instead of 12 miles, it felt like six. Instead of 156 turns, I could swear I only did 50.

As we descended back to the 9,402-foot starting line, Bobby Unser and I got into a nice chat about car design/technology and where it's headed. Both of us don't like the electronics that are taking control away from the driver. We both hate ABS, traction control, stability control, drive-by-wire throttles, and the like. While we both agreed the Porsche Cayenne Turbo is an incredible piece of machinery, and in a class of its own in the SUV market, we longed for a simpler, RS- or GT3-type version without all the whistles and bells that take the driving away from the driver. From Porsche, a true driver expects that much. It's a sad day when we can't educate people to take control of their actions, but instead allow technology and machines to control us. At least Porsche provides an on/off button for their PSM. Many manufacturers do not.

At the bottom of the hill, we said our goodbyes and prepared to head for the airport. The last I saw of Bobby Unser he was heading back up the mountain with Lisa in one of the Cayennes. To work on memorizing the course a little better? Hardly. No, he was going after "the best damn donuts in the world" that they sell at the summit store. And I know he had that PSM button in the "off" position and was cussin' the ABS.