New car news

25 June 2008 - 14:00

Porsche goes diesel

It has finally happened. Porsche has gone diesel.

After eight decades of petrol-only propulsion - with the exception of a few assorted tractors and ill-advised aftermarket jobs - Porsche has bitten the big green bullet and announced that next year's Cayenne will feature a three-litre V6 diesel.

It's the same unit that features in Audi's Q7, with 237bhp and an impressive 406lb ft of torque. The TDI engine will see the Q7 to 60mph in 8.5 seconds - expect similar performance from the closely-related Cayenne.

Those of you who wince at the idea of a diesel Porsche, we feel your pain. Then again, we were a touch sceptical about the Audi R8 diesel... and that looks to be shaping up rather nicely.