With all the various “conflicts”and hot-spots raging around the globe, armored Porsches and other vehicles aren’t really all that rare these days. Politicians, government contractors, celebrities, drug runners, everyone seems to have one. However, theirs are defensive weapons designed to keep them safe in the event of an attack. Different levels of armoring provide protection from small arms fire all the way up to Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs). The vehicle in the video below, built by International Armoring Corporation and retrofitted for offensive weapons by Red Jacket Firearms (the crew from the Discover Channel’s show Sons of Guns) is the first Porsche I’ve seen that can fight back. If you can’t see the video in your email simply click on Porsche Cayenne with machine guns to watch it directly on our site).
Details on this weaponized Porsche Cayenne
International Armoring Corporation (IAC) started with a Porsche Cayenne Turbo as their platform and then armored it to a “B6″level of protection (it has the ability to stop multiple rounds from high powered rifles) using:
Transparent Armor (Glass areas): Windshield, rear glass and side glass removed and replaced with bullet-resistant transparent armor. Transparent multi-layer glass design is glass combined with a polycarbonate inner layer will prevent spalling upon ballistic impact. The glass is curved (except back window hatch insert) and contoured to retain the appearance of the original glass. The ballistic glass is tinted to match the OEM. Driver window is operable with 6”of travel
Body: Doors, pillar posts, side panels, kick-panels, firewall, header areas, cargo compartment, rear wheel arches, and rear cargo doors/hatch is armored with Armormax ballistic composite material and ballistic steel in accordance with IAC Level 5 (Euro EN1063- B6) level of defeat. Elitus® overlap system is used around each window and throughout the vehicle to ensure complete protection.
Roof: Armored with Armormax® ballistic composite material in accordance with NIJ IIIa standards level of protection at a 30 degree angle.
Floor: Floor areas are armored with multi-ply rigid ballistic fragmentation material combined with Armormax® PAC300, molded to form fit contours of floorboards and panels. Floor protection is installed to protect against the explosion of grenades (single German DM51 or US M-67).
Vehicle Structured Modifications: IAC reinforced pillar posts and hinge mounts, add high pressure heavy duty shocks where required, and upgrade other suspension components as required to maintain original appearance and maneuverability. This includes: HD sway bars, high tension coil springs and polyurethane suspension bushings.
Red Jacket Firearms adds Concealed Weapons
Rear Hatch and Glass Blows up from Over-Pressure Created by Claymore Mine Installation
Two Roof Mounted M-16s in a Luggage Carrier on top of the Cayenne
Rear Facing M-16 with High Capacity Beta Clip in an Armored Porsche Cayenne
Testing the Claymore Mine System in the Weaponized Porsche Cayenne
If you’ve ever seen the show Sons of Guns before, then you’re probably familiar with the way the crew at Red Jacket Firearms likes to tackle problems; overwhelming firepower. The way they transformed this Cayenne is no different.
Forward Facing Firepower: The Cayenne Turbo was fitted with a cargo box (similar to the Thule we put on our Cayenne) which was used to conceal two remote controlled M-16s with high capacity Beta magazines that hold 100 rounds each.
Rear Facing Firepower: Tailgaiting this particular Cayenne would not be a good idea. As shown in the video at the start of this post there is a third M-16 hidden behind the license capable of unleashing more than enough firepower to relieve your road rage.
Blow Anyone Following you Sky High: As if three M-16s aren’t enough as is, the crew from Red Jacket mounted two 3″ steal tubes capable of firing what are essentially Claymore mines out the back of the tailgate. Unfortunately, during the test run, the explosion used to fire the projectiles created an over-pressure situation inside the rear deck of the Cayenne causing the armored glass and hatch to explode. Amazingly, thanks to the incredible armament job by International Armor Corporation, there was absolutely no damage to the interior of the Cayenne or the passenger. That says quite a bit about the quality of work done by IAC.
All this firepower is controlled via a central control panel concealed neatly inside the stock Cayenne console providing access for either the driver or the passenger to fire the weapons as necessary. Additionally, Red Jacket mounted 7 cameras around the outside of the Cayenne and ran the feeds directly into the Cayenne’s navigation system allowing the occupants to keep their heads down and still see what’s going on outside the vehicle.
Price for IAC Armored Porsche Cayenne
While it requires specialized and strict licensing for a weaponized Porsche such as this one anyone can buy an armored Cayenne if they feel the need. The total armoring and vehicle package for this Porsche (without the weapon system) is $157,500 from International Armor Corporation. If any of you decide to get one let us know. We want to take it to the range!
Special thanks to Mark F. Burton (IAC’s CEO & President) for all the information and pictures of the completed Porsche. If you’re interested in seeing more videos or pictures of this Cayenne you can check it out at the Discovery Channel’s micro-site or on YouTube. If you’re interested in buying one of these or any other type of armored vehicle then give Mark at IAC a call.
On April 24th, Porsche will unveil their newest high-performance SUV in the form of a 420 horse powered Cayenne GTS. Based on the Cayenne S, the new GTS has 20 more horses than the S version, a 20 mm lower ride height and a lower final drive ration for improved responsiveness.
The latest Cayenne transmits power from its 420 hp V8 to an active All-Wheel-Drive system coupled to an eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission with integrated Auto Start Stop function. The specially tuned engine and transmission combination enable the Cayenne GTS to sprint from a standing start to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and to achieve a top-track-speed of 162 mph.
Video of the New Porsche Cayenne GTS
Porsche Cayenne GTS Specs
The Cayenne GTS is recognizable from the outside by its high-gloss black trim, prominent side skirts and wider wheel arches as well as the hood and front fascia from the Cayenne Turbo. 20-inch RS Spyder wheels with a unique offset for the GTS are standard. Two new colors are available for the Cayenne GTS; Peridot Metallic and Carmine Red. A sport exhaust system with matte black twin tailpipes is standard.
Inside, the Cayenne GTS features exclusive GTS eight-way adjustable front sports seats with Alcantara accents. For the first time in the Cayenne, a new Sport Chrono package is now available to monitor the improved performance offered by the GTS model. Additionally, a Sound Symposer channels authentic engine intake sounds into the cabin.
The 2013 Cayenne GTS will go on sale in the U.S. in August 2012, with a base MSRP of $82,050, not including a $975 delivery charge. Build your own on the new Porsche microsite.
If you’re the owner of a 2011 or 2012 Porsche Cayenne, it’s possible your headlights have a quality issue that needs to be addressed. In a recent press release Porsche announced that up to 100,000 Cayenne units need a fix applied. According to Porsche’s in-house quality team there is a small chance that an incorrectly locked headlight module can become detached. As a result, Porsche is sending letters to owners of affected vehicles.
While the fix is free, it will take a trip to the dealer and about 45 minutes of your time to correct it.
When PorschePurist first tested the Cayenne Hybrid, we did so at Barber Motorsport park and we were much more interested in speed, handling, off-road capabilities and playing with the new hybrid display then worrying about gas mileage. With the price of gas climbing closer to $4.00 a gallon (and over that already in some parts of the country), and most pundits talking about $5.00 a gallon by summer, I know a lot of you are ready for more MPGs from your family SUV. So, when Porsche asked if we wanted to drive a Cayenne Hybrid for a week, we answered of course. Not only would we get to spend more time with the Hybrid system, we can really see what we can do in way of MPGs.
PorschePurist.com contributor Roger Garbow drove the 2012 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid on a recent family trip from his home in Connecticut to the Killington ski area in Vermont. This journey of more than 200 miles in each direction was the perfect opportunity to see how the Cayenne Hybrid would perform. It didn’t disappoint.
The Cayenne Has Been Good For Porsche
When the Cayenne was introduced in North America in 2003, Porsche purists let out a collective groan. It was considered by many to be a watering down of the brand and the beginning of the end of their beloved sports car. But a curious thing happened – not only was the Cayenne incredibly good by SUV standards but it became the company’s top seller in its first year and has been their sales leader every year except 2006, when it was edged out by a new 911, the 997.
In addition to bringing new customers into the Porsche fold, the Cayenne has had a much bigger benefit to the company – it filled the coffers. The Cayenne has been incredibly profitable and has enabled Porsche to put more money into development, which has resulted in improvements to the rest of the line. Ironically, the new 911 owes some of its greatness to the Cayenne.
The 2012 Cayenne Hybrid
Porsche’s only road going hybrid is based upon the second-generation Cayenne, which is leaner and meaner than its predecessor. In addition to the redesigned exterior, the interior is significantly improved as well, taking cues from the Panamera. The controls are well laid out and the ergonomics are excellent, especially compared to other vehicles in its class. The large navigation screen pulls up a variety of ways to monitor the technology and consumption. It’s informative, entertaining and easy to scroll through. The seats are comfortable and supportive and there is ample room for four normal size adults.
Porsche’s Hybrid Technology
Which brings us to the hybrid functionality. For Porsche, the new technology is not just a gimmick or a way to meet increasingly stringent CAFE standards. The company has been working on hybrid technology for a number of years and developed a revolutionary hybrid variant of its successful GT3 race car. Taking the technology to a new level, the folks at Stuttgart have a new exotic hybrid super car beginning production in 2013. The $845,000 918 promises 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, a 200 mph top speed and a phenomenal 78 mpg. I’ll take mine in silver, please.
So how does the Cayenne S Hybrid drive?
Very well thank you. With 380 HP and 430 lb-ft of torque, the Hybrid delivers strong acceleration in spite of carrying nearly 400 lbs more than the V-8 model. 0-60 comes up in a factory rated 6.1 seconds vs. 7.4 for the V-6. It’s actually much closer to the V-8 equipped Cayenne S in performance. Where it varies greatly is fuel consumption.
Efficiency-wise, the vehicle can be driven in electric only mode “E-mode” up to 37 mph running solely off the electric motor, although keeping it there was nearly impossible in my hilly suburban environment. It might work better if you live in the lowlands. The transition from electric to gas engine is seamless – you have to look at the readout to see which mode you are in.
For me, the best feature of the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid is the “sailing-mode.” At speeds up to 97 mph, when you lift your foot off the throttle, the clutch disengages the transmission from the engine, similar to popping a manual transmission into neutral. Maximizing the sailing mode, I was able to get nearly 28mpg on a recent ski trip to Killington and back – far exceeding the factory mpg figures. On the snow covered Vermont roads and equipped with winter tires, the Hybrid performed extremely well, as expected. While it is a heavy vehicle, handling could almost be considered nimble – at least for an SUV.
Fitting the Family
Luggage space is adequate and we managed to get our bags for four, two sets of snowshoes and two sets of skis inside. So what’s the downside? Not much. The price might seem a bit high at $69k, but the Hybrid comes well equipped and is only $4k more than the Cayenne S. The standard equipment is similar to the S but you get a lot more torque, better fuel economy and the cutting edge drivetrain. You give up the torque vectoring rear differential of the S, but most drivers will never notice. Besides, the digital display showing the power flow is very entertaining and encourages efficiency.
Ultimately, you could drive this vehicle every day with no complaints, especially as you pass the gas station. But for my next trip, I’m going for 30 mpg.
About the Author
Today’s post is by Roger Garbow. Roger is the founder of Ridgefield, CT-based Full Throttle Marketing, and Vice President of Car Guy Nation. A member of the International Motor Press Association, Roger is a contributing writer for the Fairfield County Business Journal, Ridgefield Magazine and China’s most exclusive lifestyle publication, Fortune Character.
In 2008, as the Marketing Director for Farnbacher Loles Motorsports, Roger drove a 3.8 liter Porsche Cayman S in an exhibition drag race on NY’s 11th Avenue to open the NY Auto Show — after getting pulled over for driving an “unlicensed” 997 GT3 Cup on city streets. When not turning laps at Monticello Motor Club, he can be found wherever car guys are gathering.
Any Cayenne owner that’s ever taken their SUV beyond the soccer field curb knows that the Cayenne is actually a fairly capable off-road performer. In fact, if you have the chance, we would highly recommend checking out the off-road course at Barber Motorsport Park, built specifically for the Porsche Sports Driving School, it’s a great way to get familiar with the extraordinary capabilities of your luxury SUV.
Given what we know of the Cayenne’s off-road capabilities, it’s no wonder that “OFF ROAD” trade magazine awarded Porsche the award for the most popular luxury SUV. Gathering more than 20% of the vote, the Porsche Cayenne won out over models from eleven other manufacturers.
The readers of “OFF ROAD” trade magazine voted the Porsche Cayenne the “Off-road vehicle of the year” in the “Luxury SUV” category. The choice was between models from eleven manufacturers in this category alone. Porsche’s sporty SUV attracted more than 20 per cent of the votes, putting itself in the lead by a clear margin.
The award was presented at a prize ceremony in Munich
The sales manager for the Cayenne model line, Julian Baumann, accepted the award:
“This award illustrates yet again just how popular our sporty SUV is. The 100,000th Cayenne of the current generation was built only a few weeks ago in Leipzig.”, said Baumann.
The monthly trade magazine’s reader poll has been held since 1982. This year there were 143 vehicles from 40 manufacturers in twelve categories in the running and more than 57,000 readers took part in the poll.
This special 100,000th Cayenne, resplendent in “pure white”, is being delivered to a customer in Brazil complete with a V8 engine (the 250,000th first generation Cayenne was also done in white, but was of the diesel variety).
Strong Demand for Porsche Cayenne and Panamera Spurs Expansion
“Ten years ago the success story of Porsche Leipzig startet. What was a greenfield site, today ranks among the most modern car plants in the world. In addition to the Cayenne, Leipzig is also where Porsche produces the very successful Panamera luxury saloon, approximately 70,000 units of which have now rolled off the production line. That is why more than 93,800 vehicles left the Porsche plant in Leipzig in 2011, more than in any year before”, says Wolfgang Leimgruber, Member of the Executive Board of Production and Logistics of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. “Because of the consistently high demand for the Cayenne and Panamera we will be introducing a third production shift in Leipzig at the end of January. With the new production sequence, 500 vehicles on average will be produced each day,” Leimgruber adds.
The introduction of a three shift operation is only one of many challenges in the near future. Building work for a major expansion of the plant is currently underway. A paint shop and body assembly line for an entirely new model line that will start to come off the Leipzig production line from the end of 2013 onward are among the facilities being built on a 17 hectare site. Porsche is investing a total of 500 million euro in the production site in Saxony for assembly of the Cajun, creating more than 1,000 new jobs.
Siegfried Bülow, President and Chief Executive Officer, explains:
“2012 will therefore be an eventful and exciting year in many respects. We are welcoming many new employees, holding topping-out ceremonies on the new site, celebrating the 500,000th Porsche “Made in Leipzig” and last but not least the tenth production anniversary.”
When we bought our 2009 Cayenne one of the first things I did was to protect the outside of it with a clear bra. This turned out to be a great investment and my only regret is that I didn’t do something to protect the inside of my Porsche at the same time. You see, we split our time between Maine, Florida and a little barrier island off the coast of Massachusetts. Each one of these locations offers something unique in the way of dirtying the caramel interior of my Porsche (sand, mud, salt and slush). After nearly two years of stepping in and out of my Cayenne, the front mats were in pretty poor shape. With the weather turning colder and snow on the horizon I knew I needed to do something before things got any worse.
After looking around on the web I found a number of choices for Porsche Floor Mats
Then there was AutoAnything.com. They have a huge selection and are currently running a sale where you can save up to 35% off list on Floor Mats & get Free Shipping on top brands like Husky Liners, CatchAll, Hexomat and more! What’s nice about AutoAnything.com, is the selection (pricing ranges from $25 a set to over $100).
I wanted to buy the branded, heavy duty mats from SuncoastParts.com. Not only are they a sponsor of our site, but it’s where we buy almost all our parts (for all three of our Porsches) and they always provide us with great service. Unfortunately, this one time, they simply didn’t have the color I wanted available (I wanted to closely match our interior color vs. offset it) and I couldn’t wait due to impending snow fall.
I considered the selection from AutoAnything.com (as they were by far the cheapest) but in the end I felt you really do get what you pay for. While some of their offerings were decent, none seemed to be a true custom fit and perhaps more importantly, none of them used our factory hardware to snap down. If this isn’t a concern and you’re cost conscious, they do have some good, inexpensive choices.
Rear Mat is all One Piece
Passenger Seat in Porsche Cayenne
Front Driver's Seat
Rear Seat with Mat Installed Below
Rear Cargo Liner
So, after careful consideration I ended up ordering the DigitalFitTM FloorLinersTM from WeatherTech (pictures above). While more expensive than their all-weather floor mats, the Digital Fit mats are custom cut to match the shape of my Cayenne and they used the factory floor snaps to stay in place. Even better, I already had a WeatherTech® Cargo Liner in the back of the Cayenne, so now everything matches.
Final Thoughts of New Porsche Floor Mats
When my new mats arrived all I needed to do was take them out of the box and snap them into place. For the front mats you must remove your carpets in order to install the WeatherTech mats. Not only does this ensure you won’t further stain your Porsche mats, but you can use the those factory clips (in the Cayenne they’re round snaps) to hold the mats in place. While they recommend you remove your carpets in back too, I found that the WeatherTech mats were simply too short (see picture in gallery of rear seat. Notice how the new rubber mat stops well short of covering the original mat?). They fit the floor space in the back of the Cayenne perfectly, but they didn’t run under the back of the front seat the way the carpet does. After looking at pictures of all the various offerings, it seems this is a shortfall for any selection. As the rear mats don’t snap in, I opted to keep my carpets in place to further protect the floors in the event that any of my long legged friends decide to stretch their dirty shoes beyond the reach of the new mats.
One last thing to note. WeatherTech calls the color I ordered Tan. However, as you can see in the pictures, and like my cargo liner in the back, it’s more of a dark beige than anything else. It sill looks better than an even darker color like grey or black, but it’s definitely darker than it appears on the WeatherTech site.
Do you run Winter Floor Mats in Your Porsche
What about you? Do you use winter mats in your Porsche? It doesn’t matter if you drive a Cayenne or drive your 911, Boxster, Cayman, etc. year round. Any model can benefit from the protection these custom fit rubber mats afford.
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