New car news

11 August 2008 - 11:00

Special Cay’

It has finally happened. Porsche has gone diesel.

Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking (what a name, by the way) has confirmed that next year's Cayenne will be installed with a three-litre V6 diesel developing 237bhp and 406lb ft of torque.

If that sounds familiar, that's because the oil-burner will be transplanted near-unchanged from the Audi Q7 - all part of the Posche/VAG group not-always-so-friendly partnership.

The turbodiesel will haul the Q7 to 60mph in 8.5 seconds and return around 27mpg, so we'd expect similar performance from the Cayenne.

Rather than investing in a new, expensive diesel engine, Porsche has instead ploughed its cash into developing a hybrid system, which should make its way into the Cayenne some time in 2010.

And if you're getting all het up about the idea of a diesel Porsche, just think: it could've been that five-litre V10 turbodiesel out the Touareg. We're not sure whether that'd be better or worse, really....