The Cayenne Electric made headlines yesterday as the most powerful production Porsche ever. With launch control, it (temporarily) unleashes an astounding 1,139 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet (1,500 Newton-meters) of torque. But straight-line force isn’t the only eye-opening figure. At 5,831 pounds (2,645 kilograms) without a driver, the Turbo variant is also the heaviest vehicle Porsche has ever built.
That distinction previously belonged to the (deep breath) Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe, which tipped the scales at 5,721 lbs (2,595 kg). Remarkably, that swoopy SUV with a combustion engine outweighs Porsche’s other EVs, including the Taycan/Taycan Cross Turismo and the second-generation Macan. Even so, the Cayenne Turbo Electric adds another 110 lbs (50 kg), making it the porkiest model ever to come out of Zuffenhausen.
Like the base version, the Turbo carries a massive 113-kWh battery pack weighing roughly 1,322 lbs (600 kg). For perspective, that’s nearly as heavy as an entire car: the Porsche 356 SL. The lightweight racer won its class at the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans for vehicles with engines under 1,100 cc. The Sport Light coupe weighed just 1,410 lbs (640 kg).
Still, it could be worse. The Cayenne Turbo Electric is far from the heaviest electric SUV on the market. Mercedes weighed the combustion-free G-Class and recorded 6,801 lbs (3,084 kg). Granted, the G580 with EQ Technology is a serious off-roader, but even the EQS SUV lands in the same ballpark at 6,792 lbs (3,081 kg).
These hefty European EV SUVs look almost dainty compared to America’s zero-emission land yachts. The Cadillac Escalade IQ, for example, is a colossal 9,134 lbs (4,143 kg). Even the much lighter Rivian R1S still eclipses the Porsche at 7,068 lbs (3,205 kg ). A Lucid Gravity weighs 6,100 lbs (2,766 kg), so still more than the Cayenne Turbo Electric.
It’s worth noting that the original 2002 Cayenne wasn’t exactly a featherweight. Developed during Ferdinand Piëch’s reign over the Volkswagen Group, an era known for green-lighting incredibly complex projects, the first generation was a bona fide off-roader. It featured full-time four-wheel drive, a low-range transfer case, a locking rear differential, and a hydraulic anti-roll bar disconnect for additional suspension travel. In Turbo S trim, the 955-generation SUV weighed a solid 5,191 lbs (2,355 kg).
And Porsche’s upward weight trend isn’t stopping here. A three-row SUV, announced a few years ago, is still on the way. Although it was originally planned as a purely electric model, it will debut with combustion engines. Once the EV version arrives, a seven-seat configuration will almost certainly push Porsche’s weight record even higher.
Porsche Cayenne Electric and Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric
