Porsche Says Cayenne Is The 959 Successor As SUV Turns 20

Like its VW-badged cousin, the Porsche Cayenne is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. When introduced, the brand's fiercely loyal fan base questioned the advent of an SUV. After all, why would a sports car company venture into Land Rover territory? But Porsche knew what it was doing - the segment was taking off and a luxury SUV would do wonders for Porsche sales.

To this day, the Cayenne remains a popular buy, pipped only by the Macan on the sales charts. But what was it about the Cayenne that appealed to consumers? Was it the performance, prestige, or the rugged persona? It appears to be a mix of all three, a recipe last seen in the iconic 959 supercar.

Unlike its rivals, the 959 was designed to be incredible in all conditions, and despite its 197 mph top speed was perfectly happy driving around town or charging down the autobahn with grand tourer-aping comfort. But there was a reason for this.

You see, the 959 was developed not only to tackle racetracks, but also the world's roughest terrains. This surfeit of talents would see the F40 rival clinch top honors in the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally, a motorsport event considered to be the toughest of them all.

Nearly two decades later, the Cayenne would hit the scene with equally impressive off-roading skills. But unlike its focused rivals, the high-riding Porsche could entertain on the road; at the time, journalists and testers were astonished by its incredible dynamic abilities. It wasn't just good for an SUV - the Cayenne could move with the very best sports sedans.

Perhaps calling it a 959 successor is a stretch, but the spirit of the famed supercar certainly lives in the Cayenne. Like the 959, it was a Porsche that could do nearly anything. Porsche test driver Walter Rohrl recalls his doubts but remembers how impressed he was after his first stint behind the wheel.

"I thought they weren't serious. I was sure it couldn't manage these gigantic obstacles. But it did. That really impressed me." As the years rolled by, Porsche has only improved upon the formula. The dynamically talented Cayenne Turbo Coupe is a bona fide supercar killer. "This is perhaps one of the sharpest cars they've ever built. At first, you think: that's a truck. But it drives…it's just incredible," adds Rohrl.

The motorsport legend adds, "the Porsche Cayenne is an all-rounder...and yes, you can perhaps really compare it with the 959."

Part of the original Cayenne's charm boiled down to the passion of Porsche engineers. Dedicated to creating the best, the turbocharged V8 derivative of the first generation produced 444 horsepower (the same as the 959, coincidentally) and boasted all sorts of electronic and suspension trickery.

Porsche Traction Management could cleverly distribute power between the front and rear wheels, while a lockable center differential and low-range model gave it incredible off-roading ability. Those seeking even more capabilities could go for the optional Advanced Off-Road Technology Package, adding additional underbody protection and many other beneficial items.

Air suspension gave the original Cayenne an M5-like appetite for corners and an S-Class rivaling ability to deal with potholes. At the flick of a switch, you could venture off the beaten path and hunt down Range Rovers. Perhaps it's not the aesthetic masterpiece some would have hoped it to be, but there's no denying the Cayenne introduced the world to the all-conquering performance SUV.

Now in its third generation, the Cayenne belies its heft and size; it's a masterclass in engineering and a joy to pilot quickly. If it's good enough for Walter Rohrl, it's good enough for us. Here's to the next twenty years of the Cayenne.